Senator Chafee Debate

On August 4th 2006, Paul Krugman of The New York Times wrote an interesting article with his opinions on the Sierra Club and their support of Senator Lincoln Chafee, Republican of Rhode Island, for re-election. Here is part of the article entitled 'Centrism Is For Suckers':

The Sierra Club’s executive director defended the Chafee endorsement by saying, “We choose people, not parties.” And it’s true that Mr. Chafee has usually voted with environmental groups.

But while this principle might once have made sense, it’s just naïve today. Given both the radicalism of the majority party’s leadership and the ruthlessness with which it exercises its control of the Senate, Mr. Chafee’s personal environmentalism is nearly irrelevant when it comes to actual policy outcomes; the only thing that really matters for the issues the Sierra Club cares about is the “R” after his name.

Put it this way: If the Democrats gain only five rather than six Senate seats this November, Senator James Inhofe, who says that global warming is “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people,” will remain in his current position as chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. And if that happens, the Sierra Club may well bear some of the responsibility.

Here is part of the response from Sierra Club Executive Director, Carl Pope:

The value of the Sierra Club's endorsement -- to environmentally concerned independents, Republicans, and Democrats alike -- is that it tells voters where a candidate stands on values they cherish. If a voter wants to know who the Democrat is in a race, they don't need the Sierra Club to tell them. Our job is to reward conviction, applaud leadership, and promote progress made in cleaning up the air and water and in preserving our wild lands and wildlife -- no matter which side of the aisle we find it on.

Indeed, in political races all over the country where the Sierra Club happens to be endorsing Democrats who share Lincoln Chafee's values on the environment, right-wing campaign managers have tried to blunt the power of our message by saying that we are simply "a knee-jerk arm of the Democratic party." Paul Krugman, ironically, would like us to make the jobs of these people easier.

And to set the record straight -- because of the committee seats he holds and the influence that he wields as a member of the Republican majority -- Senator Chafee has been extremely effective in stopping President Bush's polluting "Clear Skies" plan and in blocking efforts to weaken the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act.

At the Sierra Club, we value performance above party affiliation. We stand up for the people who have stood up for us and for the environment. And we are proud to stand with, and behind, Senator Chafee.