Bush Plugs Conservation Concerns
Sept. 13 -- Hoping to get his campaign back on track, George W. Bush touted his commitment to the environment while visiting the state of Washington today.
The Republican presidential nominee, hurt by a series of distractions and controversies so far this month, outlined a plan for giving more funding for conservation efforts and claimed the Clinton administration had neglected the country’s national parks.
“For eight years this administration has talked of environmentalism while our national parks are crumbling,” Bush said during a speech on the banks of the Skomish River near Monroe, roughly 40 miles east of Seattle.
Bush proposed a multi-billion dollar plan to help the National Park Service, including an allocation of $3.75 billion over five years to clear the maintenance backlog at the parks, which he claimed had badly deteriorated.
“Under this administration, the parks are in worse shape than ever before,” said Bush.
Bush also endorsed a plan to preserve the local salmon population without re-establishing riverflow around federal dams, saying, “We do not need to breach the dams to save the salmon.”
As he has in the past, Bush today accused his Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore, of failing to take a firm stand on the issue.
“My opponent has refused to take a position on the issue of salmon and the dams,” Bush said. “He’s refused to say whether he will breech the dams or not.”
Swimming Upstream?
Gore has long been known for his concern about environmental issues, which are important in Washington.
But Bush has been portraying himself as a “different kind of Republican” throughout the campaign, and today’s speech represents an gain support on an issue frequently ceded to Democrats.
Members of the Bush campaign have long thought the salmon issue could be a key for them in Washington state, which is still very much up for grabs.
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