Democrats Say Bush Blocking Earth Summit Goal

Politics - Reuters ^ | Thu Aug 29, 6:46 AM ET | By Matt Daily

[dgallo51]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A delegation of U.S. congressional Democrats accused the Bush administration on Thursday of blocking plans to alleviate poverty and promote clean economic growth at the U.N.'s Earth Summit.

"The U.S. administration is becoming somewhat of an obstructionist in terms of meeting the goals of sustainable development," California Congressman George Miller told a news conference.

Talks to cut poverty, increase access to fresh water and promote economic growth while repairing environmental damage run from August 26-September 4 in Johannesburg, a decade after the first Earth Summit in Rio.

The Democrats' comments were the latest salvo in their battle to wrest control of the U.S. House of Representatives from the Republicans in the mid-term November elections. The Democrats control the Senate.

Many Democrats believe President Bush ( news - web sites)'s high approval rating among the electorate will not protect Republican House members, and that the administration's Achilles' heel could be environmental issues and its ties to big corporations.

"The United states has a special obligation and opportunity (to promote clean growth) as the world's richest nation and its biggest polluter," said Earl Blumenauer of Oregon.

The U.S. has said it will accept no binding targets for those goals and would offer no new aid money in Johannesburg after pledging to raise aid at a summit in Mexico in March.

Bush has said he would not be among the 100 world leaders joining the final talks next week, sending instead Secretary of State Colin Powell ( news - web sites) -- a decision blasted by the Democrats.

MISTAKE TO STAY AWAY

"It's a horrible mistake. This was an opportunity for the president to come here and demonstrate his concern and his commitment on these issues at the same time as pressing his war on terrorism," said Miller.

U.S. efforts at the summit have focused on partnership projects between governments, business, local communities and interest groups to solve the planet's ills, although critics say those deals lack proper oversight and are an excuse for governments to abdicate responsibility to the private sector.

The congressmen were equally critical of those plans, which often incorporate previous programs and simply shift resources from existing operations. "(The U.S.) has a recycled idea and recycled money," Miller said.

Many delegates in the talks between nearly 200 states said the United States was also leading resistance to any effort at going beyond a world trade deal struck in Doha last year to phase out export subsidies and to make "substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic support."

The congressman also urged the administration to reverse its opposition to the international treaty designed to slow global warming ( news - web sites) -- an issue that was pushed down the agenda at Johannesburg to encourage Bush to attend.

"More than 70 nations have signed on, and it's imperative that our nation, which has 25 percent of the energy consumption and only five percent of the population, participate in this," said Ohio's Dennis Kucinich.

Bush drew international condemnation last year when he shunned the Kyoto Protocol ( news - web sites) designed to trim pollution blamed for warming up the planet. That pact will only take effect if Russia agrees to it.

[dgallo51]

Sustainable development = Environmental Racism. Will the lesser developed counties seek reparations from developed nations for sustainable development policies?

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Oh) criticizes U.S. President Bush as he addresses journalists in Johannesburg on August 29, 2002. The United States is taking the brunt of criticism at the World Summit on Sustainable Development and a group of U.S. congressmen stepped up the pressure on Thursday, laying into the Bush administration. REUTERS/Juda Ngwenya - Aug 29 6:44 AM ET

From left, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, U.S. Congressmen Dennis Kucinich, center, of Ohio, and George Miller of California listen as the Mayor of Oakland, California, Jerry Brown speaks during a news conference at the United Nations Media Center of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg on Thursday Aug. 29, 2002. Brown and the U.S. Congessional delegates to the summit called on the Bush Administration to reconsider its position towards the Kyoto Protocol and to show leadership during the Summit as the world's richest nation as well as being the world's biggest polluter.(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) - Aug 29 5:42 AM ET

[fporretto]

Democratic partisans love this sort of get-together. It feeds their hunger for "meaning." They evaluate it on the overt agenda, which sounds benign, while completely ignoring both the covert agenda and the character and behavior of the participants.

That's the major difference between the typical, non-malicious "liberal" and the typical, non-malicious "conservative." They go by feelings and vaguely defined intentions; we go by results.

Please see also:

The Comfort Zone

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit The Palace Of Reason: http://palaceofreason.com

[Piquaboy]

What! Bush is blocking their goal of them making the U.S. another third world country.

[Non-Sequitur]

Democrats Say Bush Blocking Earth Summit Goal

Well...someone has to.

[The Electrician]

"The United states has a special obligation and opportunity (to promote clean growth) as the world's richest nation and its biggest polluter," said Earl Blumenauer of Oregon.

I wonder what organization hands out the annual "world's biggest polluter" award. More importantly, I'm wondering whether the Philippines, home of Mount Pinatubo, ever won that award, or does Mother Earth not count?

[tractorman]

"The United states has a special obligation and opportunity (to promote clean growth) as the world's richest nation and its
biggest polluter," said Earl Blumenauer of Oregon.

Don't make me laugh, Earl.
If you really want to see pollution, go to South America.
I've personally seen pollution suds as big as refrigerators - by the hundreds - floating downstream in the rivers of Brazil and Argentina.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

And the big winners ? Probably Swiss banks.

[Willie Green]

Well...someone has to.

If Dubya had a spine, he'd send the military to blockade Johannesburg and keep the enviro-terrorists bottled up.

[shiva]

Democrats Say Bush Blocking Earth Summit Goal

Maybe he's blocking it because they wouldn't change the menu to B-B-Q, potato salad, beans and lots of white bread still in the wrappers where you have to get in there and grab you a hand full.