Clean Water Currents|Online, Fall 2008, Volume 35, No. 2

Clean Water Action endorses and works for the election of candidates as part of our focus on holding elected officials accountable for their actions on the environment.

John DeCock, CEO of Clean Water Action

Our political program is non partisan. We consider candidates from all parties and support those who demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection.

There is no shortage of candidates to support at all levels of government. The challenge comes in allocating resources to do the work. We look for races where we have, or want to build, a strong presence in the community. We choose races where the power of our grassroots, person-to-person approach of retail politics will make a difference.

We want to support candidates who have done the work necessary to build a base and have a real chance at winning. Swing districts and swing states are appealing because we know turning out individuals to vote through our work in the field can make all the difference in a given race. Indeed it is often the case that a victorious candidate will credit our involvement or a defeated opponent will curse our name. We don't mind our name being cursed under those circumstances - and our response is that of the ancient proverb, "Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.". When an environmental champion is under siege from a well-organized, well-funded political machine with an anti-environment agenda, we want to stand with that candidate and be a part of their successful effort to show the power of people over money. It is not always an easy path, but when we are successful our environment wins.

How does our process work? It starts at the neighborhood level. Local committees of Clean Water Action members identify important federal, state and local elections where our presence on the ground and circumstances of the race merit our attention. We send questionnaires to all candidates to determine where they stand. Based on those questionnaires and in some cases individual interviews, a Clean Water Action local committee decides whether to recommend endorsing a candidate. Those recommendations are forwarded to our national political action committee for consideration. That committee reviews the recommendations and makes a final decision regarding the endorsement. In the case of the presidential race, the endorsement decision is made by the Clean Water Action Board of Directors. Once an endorsement is made, we devote as much resources as possibleto securing a victory for the candidate we support.

The greatest part of our outreach is to our members, talking to people one-on-one at the door, on the phone and in their neighborhoods. We take very seriously the importance of making responsible and effective political choices on behalf of our membership and the environment. And, once that choice is made, we take very seriously our responsibility to add real value to the electoral process through the quality of our work.

This year, it is critically important for Clean Water Action and for all our members to get involved in electing candidates who will help repair the damage we have suffered under eight years of an anti-environmental administration. We will have the chance to move an affirmative agenda for the environment and address the serious challenges we face, such as climate change. But none of this happens by accident. Change and progress are the result of participation in the process. Join us in making a better world by devoting your time and resources to the 2008 campaigns. As always, thank you for all the work you do on behalf of the environment.

In this issue of Clean Water Currents|Online:

The Electoral Map: Turning Red & Blue to Green

Clean Water Action's community organizers work to turn red and blue into green knowing that this election - from Congressional races to the Presidency - will determine whether or not the country turns the page on congressional gridlock and the Bush era of hostility to environmental issues.

Political Activism Translates to A Better World, A Clean, Safer Environment

John DeCock, Clean Water Action's CEO, explains more about our involvement in the political process, and how we work with supporters to hold government accountable.

The Five Most Important Tasks for the Next President

With the sun setting on eight years of the most anti-environmental administration in modern history, the to-do list for the next President is a long one. Clean Water Action surveyed our members and staff and here's what we came up with as a short list of priorities for the next administration.

On Clean Water, is John McCain George Bush Redux?

A close examination of John McCain's legislative record on clean water issues shows adopting an "anybody but" position on election-day would have far-reaching, negative consequences in a McCain administration.

Our Pick for President

Every presidential election cycle, there's a secret wish that the major party nominees will be as equally good on environmental and conservation issues, so forgoing the need to choose one over the other. That is not the case in 2008.

Path To A Greener Congress Focuses On Eight Battleground States

In addition to electing a president that will make the right choices for America, we need to elect enough congressional members to get us to the veto-proof magic numbers of 60 Senators and 261 Representatives who support protecting our waters, our health and our future through strong environmental policies.

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