Subject: [big campaign] Tracking Update: McCain Environmental Round Table in North Bend, WA
From: "Cammie Croft" <[email-masked]>
To: "big campaign" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 18:54:24 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

Hello Big Campaign,

Unfortunately, we were not able to get a tracker into today's Environmental
Round Table in North Bend, WA today.  The event was closed to the public and
staffers were checking a pre-made list.

The good news is we were able to capture video of the event from online
streaming video and we have that available upon request.  Below are the
notes we took from that video.

*NORTH BEND, WA: McCain Environmental Round Table*
*
Highlights:* McCain was asked whether his age is a legitimate political
issue and responded "anything is fair." McCain also staked out his
differences from Bush on the environment, and he said that Hagee's
apology--and his coming-together with Bill Donohue to help reconcile with
the Catholic community--are "laudable."

BACKGROUND DETAILS:
-       Roundtable held at the Cedar River Watershed Educational Center
-       Panelists include

o   Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland
o   Bruce Williams, chairman and CEO of HomeStreet Bank and vice chairman of
Cascade Land Conservancy,;
o   Jim DiPeso, policy director of Republicans for Environmental Protection;
o   REI CEO Sally Jewell;
o   West Mathison, a fifth-generation farmer with Stemilt Growers, Inc.;
o   Chris Bayley, the former Republican King County prosecutor and chairman
of Stewardship Partners;
o   Eagle Scout and high school senior Will Mentor;
o   Mercer Island City Councilman Steve Litzglow.
o   Former Gov. Dan Evans is the moderator.

*INTRO:* from moderator, former Gov. Dan Evan

MCCAIN SPEAKS

·      thanks Governor – Native American issues – they're stewards of large
amounts of land, so we need to have their "active partnership" in
environmental initiatives
·      thanks Slade Gorton, …, Rob McKenna
·      not new to this issue, but I'm always learning on this issue
·      "I traveled, I traveled around the globe  - usually at your expense"
to learn about climate change: the Artic, Greenland's erosion of the ice
pack, Brazilian rain forest, Great Coral Reef – "these are the miners'
canaries of what's going to happen to our planet"
·      cap-and-trade. Other option is carbon tax – just going to be passed
onto consumer. Europeans have a cap and trade system, so we're not inventing
the wheel here – we're trying to put free-enterprise, market-based
incentives for how to deal with this great threat to Americans.
·      Citing Blair, suppose all we think we know about climate change is
wrong and we accept green technologies, then all we've done is handed off a
cleaner world to young Americans. But if we are right, this will stoke
innovation and we must stewardship. Wind energy. Firmly and fastly rejects
the notion that this will be somehow harmful to the economy. We can use
alternative-energy technologies to reduce greenhouse gases. "Do I have some
passion about this? Yes" younger Americans are largely on my side; "we've
got a few old geezers we've got to convince."

ROUNDTABLE

·      MCCAIN: Tees off roundtable with Will, congratulates Eagle Scouts.

o   WILL MENTOR: Has seen the effects of climate change on his hikes as a
Boy Scout and if we don't combat this issue, it has the potential to destroy
a lot of things Northwesterners hold important: streams, salmon. If there
were more of an opportunity for people his age to get involved in all this,
it would make a big difference.
o   MCCAIN: If I were to make an obvious suggestion, best thing to do is
plant another tree.  Best way to lower CO2.

·      MCCAIN asks SALLY JEWELL: How does REI contribute to this fight?

o   SALLY JEWELL: We have to lead. Business and private enterprise have to
take a significant role. REI launched a goal to be climate neutral. It's
difficult but it's important. Part of the problem is that children have a
lack of connection to the outside world (too much time inside) – a concern.
Working with Retailers like WalMart, Target, BestBuy and Loews. Working on
sustainable packaging coalition. Working with paper companies to make sure
they're coming from responsible sources. Using recycled materials in REI's
products.
o   MCCAIN: give you a comparative disadvantage?
o   SALLY JEWELL: it's expected to be green but people don't want to pay
more.

·      MCCAIN: What do you want me to do?

o   SALLY JEWELL: there's no federal incentives to be green. Find ways to
incentivize businesses and individuals to reduce
o   MCCAIN: If you can sequester carbon and cut down on methane—we've got to
provide those incentives.  Research and innovation. Once you've developed
it, you hand it off to private enterprise.
o   MCCAIN: Education. We've had some on recyclable (struggles with word)
materials.  Recycling is a very important aspect. Public education problem
on how important these small steps are.
o   "I'm a little wary – I have to give you some straight talk—about
government subsidies… I opposed the [ethanol] subsidies because I thought
they'd distort the market" b/c of unintended consequences. In the 70s- the
last time there was a gas crisis- we over-subsidized some of the solar
industry and we turned out to have some pretty shoddy material, incl. in AZ.
Americans will respond, as they have to
o   SALLY JEWELL: if not subsidies, then find ways to do the right thing and
penalize those doing the wrong thing. Then these cleaner energy sources will
take off.

·      DOUG SOUTHERLAND— as federal govt starts national cap-and-trade
program, make sure local/regional systems aren't penalized.

o   MCCAIN: in other words, you want us to establish a system where you get
some credit for systems you've established in the past, rather than have
everyone start at same point?
o   DOUG SOUTHERLAND: I think each of the states should be able to make some
decisions on how it's going to be run.
o   Forest health is also a problem (i.e. strategic burning to minimize risk
of fire). MCCAIN agrees – forest fires have been devastating.

·      STEVE LITZGLOW: issue of money. We're trying to move to hybrids, but
how do you kickstart to get over that level to get to the hybrids? Battling
priorities – wants to be green, but... Says he has sinking fund, which
helps, but hard to get to long-term goal.

o   MCCAIN: Got an idea, Chris?

·      CHRIS BAYLEY: Government should give money to landowners who know how
to take care of their land. From regulatory paradigm. landowner-based and
cooperative paradigm.
·      MCCAIN: What about PILT (payment in lieu of taxes)? That's a good
one?

o   DAN EVANS: As former county exec, PILT, especially in those communities
that have been affected by the loss of harvesting on federal lands – those
communities that are dependent on forest industry don't have funds to meet
their needs – education, etc. either we have to get out of our analysis
paralysis or find a way to help them survive. PILT has been one of those
issues.

·      BRUCE WILLIAMS:

o   (1) land use – may sound like a local issue removed from fed govt, but
has an impact in terms of climate change. When we did a carbon footprint of
our bank, a lot of it came off of employees commuting – need to be aware of
it in developing great cities.
o   (2) waste management – we don't have a good national plan and we'd like
to see that taken care of before we create more of it. Hantford.
o   (3) worry that cap-and-trade system will penalize hydropower.

§  MCCAIN – would need to be accounted for in credit system.
§  MCCAIN – maybe make mass transportation green.
§  MCCAIN – on nuclear power, BRUCE WILLIAMS, why have European countries
come up with solutions that people approve of? E.g. France – they
re-process. We  have to do both. I understand the dangers. We have a whole
lot more to do than we thought we had to do at the beginning of the
exercise. We don't have the capability or certainly anything that's
affordable. If other countries are able to make use of nuclear power and
address the issues of spent nuclear fuel, I don't understand why USA can't
do it. We've never had a nuclear accident when we've sailed ships around. We
ought ot be able to address the issues of transportation, storage,
reprocessing and new technologies which reduce the amount of spent nuclear
fuel. I'm all for clean coal technology – right now it's too expensive, but
I'm confident it will become less expensive. In the meantime, we can't
afford an increase in greenhouse gases.

·      SALLY JEWELL (REI): on transportation. Worst is airplane travel – we
can buy offsets, but not ideal. Electricity consumption – we've been able to
buy from more responsible compnaies. On employee commuting – one of the
things the fed govt has done and I would encourage it -  the provision and
transportation funding for alternative forms of transportation, e.g.
connected bike path. One of the positive consequences of gas hike has been
threw-the-roof sales of bicycles. If you find ways to support bike routes,
e.g., people will use it and it'll have positive consequences. But if you
don't have support from state, local and federal, not going to happen.
·      MCCAIN – anecdote – Meg Whitman asked employees how to reduce impact.
Suggested that have cleaners come in and clean during the day and shut down
completely at night – saved on energy costs.  So we should ask Americans how
they think we should help.
·      WEST MATHISON – I've had retail execs say they hear "sustainability"
and reach for their wallet.  But global marketplace is full of low-cost
producers. In American agriculture, we've applied technology (organic,
microirrigation) that any way we can help support agriculture in the USA –
keep food in US, not outsource. MCCAIN quips, "which means you're in favor
of free trade?"
·      MCCAIN to WEST MATHISON:  how have gas prices affected your business?

o   WEST MATHISON: the only way we'll be sustainable is market-based
solutions. Maybe tax incentives with pre-determined sunsets will help. We're
starting to see trend of businesses asking question how can we be profitable
and how can we do right? We're just scratching the surface – so anything we
can do to incentivize that is going to be great.  Keep economic stimulus in
this country with the production of food, agriculture is a great way to
sequester carbon…

·      MCCAIN to SALLY JEWELL: is there a concern that people worry they're
not getting the best quality product with recycled materials?

o   SALLY JEWELL – our competitors aren't other sustainable orgs but TV,
video games and overscheduled people. Sustainability is a team sport, it is
not competitive advantage. We're trying to create a market – we're trying to
create the demand.

·      MCCAIN to CHRIS BAYLEY: how can we help at fed level?

o   Landowner incentive programs fuel voluntary work and the agricultural
production. Fed govts role in enviro should be incentive-based,  using the
engine of volunteers and the power of landowners who want to save their land
and create new habitat.

·      Steve – you want to keep the fed govt from inhibiting people from
finding solutions. We don't need govt to tell us what we need to do – but to
encourage people to find systems that work. Like internet 10 years ago – a
lot of options look good right now, but you need to let the marketplace
figure out what's going to work. E.g. biodiesels and plug-ins – don't know
which is going to work, and so natural selection is critical in finding best
what's going to work.
·      MCCAIN – enviro not just green thing – it's a national security and
an economic concern (fillin up gas tank of fixed income people). Natl
security since we are dependent on more than $400b / year in imported oil to
countries that don't like us very much and some of that money ends up in
hands of terrorists. Trade deficit  - we're borrowing from  China. Needs to
be bipartisan issue – sit-down with bankers and consuemrs and all of us as
Americans and address this issue.  Honored to be in presence of Slade Gordon
and to be at this facility that does so much to provide arguably cleanest
drinking water in the world and I promise not to do anything that would
affect this state and local govt working together to provide this service.
You renew my enthusiasm in the lord's work in the city of Satan.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

-       MCCAIN: Cedar River Watershed is beautiful. The environment here and
in AZ important. I will be a Pres for the environment, I have a long record
of advocacy for environment. I have a plan of action that will restore our
environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and relieve our dependence on
foreign oil. We can have good environmental record and a good economy,
namely through innovation and green technology. This can be a bipartisan
effort. It is a nexus of compelling issues.
-       Q: – Obama and Clinton have nearly identical cap and trade plan but
more modest goals. Why should voters listen to your plan versus theirs?

o   MCCAIN: I have a long history in this – they don't. People will trust my
stewardship not only because of my background and knowledge but also my
vision for the future. My plan is doable. You can dictate a lot of things,
but you have to unleash the entrepreneurial power of Americans in order to
accomplish these things. This is one element of my environmental record and
plan of action.

-       Q: did you influence or support Hagee's decision to issue letter of
apology to Catholics? How will this change? Will it be enough to silence his
critics?

o   MCCAIN: Hagee and Donohue are joining together and reconcile with the
Catholic community. I have long sought to reconcile – with antiwar movement,
with David Ifshin, with the Vietnamese in interest of healing the wounds of
war. Donohue's and Hagee's coming together is a "laudable thing and a
testament to their Judeo-Christian values."

-       What do you say to people who say global warming isn't real?

o   MCCAIN: I'll be glad to continue the debate. We continue to amass
scientific evidence, e.g. from NASA. I pose the question again: the
consequences if we're wrong vs. consequences if we're right about climate
change happening.
o   I've made some Republicans mad – but my duty is to do what I think is
right.

-       Do you feel more comfortable accepting Hagee's endorsement now?

o   I again say that I accept his endorsement but not everything he says.
The fact that he apologized was helpful. I think it's always laudable for
someone to apologize for something they did that was wrong.

-       Q: Given mounting evidence of harmful effects of military sonar
testing on marine animals, are you going to take away the military's
practice of that?

o   MCCAIN: there's a balance that can be achieved of conducting these tests
so they're not harmful. I'd be glad to continue to work on that.

-       Q: GOP base would like to know – do you believe that climate change
is manmade or natural occurrence?

o   MCCAIN: I think evidence has indicated that human activity has had major
impact on buildup of greenhouse gases. I trust the assessment of National
Assoc of Science

-       Q from European journalist: Are you going to present different
approach then what we've had?

o   MCCAIN: Yes the President and I have had a "long-standing, significant,
deep" difference between Pres and I in our policies on this. Going back to
2002. We can learn from the Europeans, from their mistakes (e.g. with cap
and trade).

-       Q: Fair for your age to be an issue?

o   MCCAIN: "Oh, anything is fair. This isn't beanbag." [How old *is* John
McCain?? Beanbag??] This is a question that was raised in the primaries. I
look forward to that. I look forward to bringing my 96-year-old mother
everywhere I go. Maybe hiking too.

-       Q: why weren't you in DC for vote about cutting off deliveries for
petroleum reserve? Obama and Clinton were there.

o   MCCAIN: Because I'm out campaigning. With a 97-to-1 vote it doesn't
matter. The people of AZ understand.

-       Q: Points out examples of problems with nuclear, e.g. Hantford. Why
should we trust anyone who advocates nuclear?

o   MCCAIN: I understand the enormous challenges we've faced in trying to
clean up, I understand the skepticism. I'd like to point out the European
example. They've dealt with problems, they've made progress. I will have to
make sure Americans convinced that nuclear power will be safe and secure and
we will avoid these problems.

-       Aide says we're out of time. MCCAIN asks if he can take a few more
questions.
-       Q: Were you or your campaign involved in brokering Donohue-Hagee
peace?

o   MCCAIN: I certainly wasn't.

-       Q: How do you respond to protests about hurting Boeing?

o   I have the greatest respect for Boeing workers. I was part of
investigation that ended up with Boeing workers in prison and costing
Americans money. I did everything possible to make sure everything after
that was a fair and open process. I'm open to Air Force review. But my first
obligation to the American people is the careful stewardship of their
dollars. And I'm proud of my record there.

-       Q: Would you make cap and trade bill a priority in your first 100
days?  Is it important to make progress on this bill even if it doesn't
pass?

o   MCCAIN: Lieberman-Warner is a good bill but doesn't go far enough with
nuclear. It will be a top priority.

-       Q: If elected, would you commit to attending the next round of UN
climate talks?

o   MCCAIN: I'd have to assess where other countries are. But I will lead
this country and the world to address this issue. America can lead and not
obstruct.

-- 
Cammie L. Croft
Tracking/Media Monitoring Director
Progressive Media USA
[email-masked]
202-609-7679 (office)
206-999-3064 (cell)

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