Environmental Group Backs Bradley
By ANNE PANDOLFI
12:42 PM ET 09/14/99
WASHINGTON (AP) - The political arm of the environmental group Friends of the
Earth today endorsed Bill Bradley for president, saying his record was ``far superior''
than the one compiled by Vice President Al Gore. ``On a wide range of water, toxics and
public lands issues, Bradley has been a forceful champion,'' said Brent Blackwelder,
president of the environmental group's PAC.
Gore has made the environment a central theme of his political career.
``There was a lot of rhetoric of what Gore was going to do and he didn't follow
through with that,'' said Friends of the Earth spokesman Mark Whiteis-Helm.
The group said Gore passed up the opportunity to take the lead on environmental
issues and actually paved the way for ``draconian erosions of existing environmental
protection.''
Whiteis-Helm lists protecting the ozone layer as one of Gore's failed
opportunities. During Gore's tenure as vice president, the administration weakened the
phase-out date for the chemical methyl bromide and opposed the stronger protection
measures suggested by European nations, the group said.
Friends of the Earth gave the Clinton administration an average grade of ``D''
for its environmental record.
``It was disappointing to tell the American people who is the better candidate
for the environment,'' since Gore has put environmental issues on the political agenda,
said Whiteis-Helm. Comparing the two candidates while each served in the Senate - Bradley
represented New Jersey and Gore was a Tennessee senator - the vice president again falls
short, the group said. It cited League of Conservation Voters rankings, which gave Bradley
a 85.5 score out of a 100 on the environment, while Gore only reached a 66.5.
``Bradley did more than simply vote pro-environment. He introduced legislation,
did his homework, built constituencies, and got the legislation passed. He used his
presence on the Senate floor effectively and he produced demonstrable results,'' the group
said in a written statement.
