Bush's Hawaiian Preserve: Easy Election Year Environmentalism

On June 15th President Bush turned a large portion of Hawaiian ocean into a national monument. Environmental groups, half shocked half delighted, cautiously praised the action.

Why did the Bush Administration do this? The answer is 1) it is an election year, and 2) it was easy.

The industrial opposition to the preserve was very small. No major industries are seeking oil drilling or other commerce there. Only 8 commercial fishing boats had authority to fish there. This was a good thing to do and the President gets the credit but environmental protection is important when it is difficult as well (i.e. ANWR and Global Warming).

This will no doubt be used to distract voters from the generally dismal Bush/GOP environmental record. Do not allow it. There is no oil in the ocean surrounding Hawaii and this only occurred because it is an election year.

but I have never heard that and can not find a mention of it any where...

Cheap-ass environmentalism from a president who couldn't give a tin shit about the environment.

It's a perfect setup - hardly any land worth developing - hell, hardly any land at all, so it's not like he's restricting pipelines or mining or logging on the borders of Yellowstone or Glacier.

Nobody will lose their fishing licenses except for a few small operators, so no sweat there. And the location is so remote that perhaps a few thousand people will actually see and visit and dive the islands before the reefs turn into a boneyard.

It's a great concept, but a decision made at next to no political cost and with no committment to the root causes that are going to take this ecosystem down.

Republican "environmentalism" at its finest.

a similar bill to congress.

Oh, by the way Case, (a Lieberman supporter in the 2004 Dem primaries)is challenging Sen.Dan Akaka for his senate seat.

he saw it in a movie. Sad isn't it? He got a chance to see a movie by the son of Jacques Cousteau (Jacque's son was there with scrub). After the movie was over scrub decided something had to be done.
I saw the story on HuffPo, I think,
Anyway...it's kind of sad that scrubbie needs to see a movie to get him to movie into action. I guess that's why he wants to go to Mars...he saw Independence Day and wants to be ready...or he saw Jurassic Park and figures that's the only way to be safe from the dinosaurs.