Environmental groups are launching their biggest campaign effort aimed at defeating President Bush in the 2004 election. The League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club plan to spend millions mobilizing activists and voters in key states against Bush's environmental record. They will criticize his policies on forests, water, and air quality. The groups are already hiring staff and gathering data to influence early primary states like New Hampshire and Iowa. Their goal is to chip away at Bush's popularity by portraying the Democratic candidates as better for the environment than the president.

1. A
* Dana M. Perino 06126/2003 01 :49:25 PM
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Subject: Cox Newspapers (6/25/03) re: Environmentalists' forum launches anti-Bush effort
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Jeanie S.
01 :16:19
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Subject: Cox Newspapers (6/25/03) re: Environmenatalists' forum launches anti-Bush effort
fyi..

2. effort-
Environmentalists' forum launches anti-Bush
- Cox Washington Bureau
Julia Malone
Thursday, June 26, 2003
!Voters hosts Democratic
Washington --- When the League of Conservation
significance won't be the stands the
presidential hopefuls in a forum tonight, the
candidates take on environmental issues.
the subject among the Democrats.
Even close observers see few differences on
the: greater importance of the Los
For many in the the environmental movement, laUnch of what could be their
Angeles event will be that it marks the national
defeating President Bush next year.
biggest campaign effort ever, aimed chiefly at
six of whom are planning to
Among the nine announced Democratic challengers,
than President Bush when it comes to
participate in the forum, "All would be better the 'League of Conservation Voters,
of
the environment," Deb Callahan, president
told reporters this week.
to show how the Democrats differ
The purpose of the forum, she said, is mainly portrays as trying to roll back
with the Bush administration, which her group
progress on the environment.
arm of the environmental
Both the league, which calls itself the political 5
movement, and the 750,000-member Sierra Clu are already hiring political pros,
of activists to go door to door in
raising funds and planning to dispatch thousands
key battleground states.
electionis ever for the environment,"
"We consider this one of the most important
said the Sierra Club's political director, MargaretiConway.
not been easy, especialyith
Rallying the public against the president has
post-Sept. 11 era. Although the persistent criticism of Bush on environmental
may not be "green" enough, the
issues appears to have raised doubts that he in the polls.
president continues to receive favorable ratings
Voters have taken high-profile
The Sierra Club and the League of Conservation example, is estimated to have
for'
roles in recent federal elections. The league, targeted a dozen members of
spent as much as $8 million in 2002, when it
fbr helping to defeat six. The group
Congress as anti-environment and took credit chip away at Bush's popularity.
plans to spend even more next year in its effort'to
the president in a "report card" that
The league this week laid out its case against policies on protecting forests,
faults almost every aspect of the White House
purifying the water and cleaning the air.
Hampshire seven months away, the
with the first big presidential primary in New vbters there.
groups are planning to take their message to
to gather data for a pamphlet
The Sierra Club already has hired a field staffer at Risk."
whose working title is "New Hampshire Communities
tie first presidential caucuses will be
A similar effort is in the works in Iowa, where
held.

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