Free Republic

NORTH BEND, Wash. - John McCain on Tuesday cast Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton as latecomers to the environmental battle, saying he would be willing to debate the issue with either of them in the general election to underscore his experience with the issue. "People will trust my stewardship not only because of my background and knowledge, but also my vision for the future," he told reporters during a news conference at a nature center in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. "They have never, to my knowledge, been involved in legislation nor hearings nor engagement on...

RANCHO CORDOVA – With opposition growing among Democrats statewide, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger moved yesterday to shore up his environmental credentials by touting the reinstatement of a program to take older, polluting autos off the road. With a Sacramento-area auto yard as the backdrop, Schwarzenegger announced the state is again – because of Democratic legislation – offering $1,000 to car owners who voluntarily retire older vehicles that cannot meet the state's smog-control standards. The goal is to take as many as 15,000 high-polluting vehicles off the road annually over the next 10 years. "This will pay big dividends for California," the...

<p>SACRAMENTO (AP) - The California Legislature passed a record number of pro-environment laws in 2003, making important breakthroughs in the areas of clean air and e-waste, in spite of a continuing partisan split, according to a report released Thursday by an environmental group.</p>