To Annoy Bingaman, or the Public?

So, who are these “Environmental Defense Action Fund” clowns currently littering the local AM airwaves hectoring senator Bingaman to pass climate legislation? According to their website, a link off of the “Environmental Defense Fund”, they are:

the lobbying arm of Environmental Defense Fund, a leading environmental organization dedicated to educating the public about sound environmental policy and promoting lasting solutions to protect the environmental rights of all people.

Environmental Defense Action Fund is guided by scientific evaluation of environmental problems, and the solutions we advocate will be based on science, even when it leads in unfamiliar directions.

We work to create solutions that win lasting economic and social support because they are nonpartisan, cost-effective and fair.

Seemingly fair minded as described in their own words this “action” fund is not exactly everything they describe themselves to be. The ads that are on local AM radio recently include a short message urging Bingaman to take action while making assertions that are more political than scientific, actually all political, in nature. This should not be surprising as this “action” fund is the lobbying arm of a democrat affiliated organization:

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) describes itself as an organization that "is dedicated to protecting the environmental rights of all people" by using a scientific approach that is "nonpartisan, cost-effective, and fair." Environmental Defense Fund is represented by its family of organizations, Environmental Defense, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, and Environmental Defense Action Fund, Inc., a 501(c)(4) organization. EDF is also intimately connected with other environmental and political organizations. Trustee Frank Loy currently serves as one of Senator Obama's "top environmental advisers" for the 2008 Presidential Campaign. This past year, trustee Douglas Shorenstein donated $272,100 to Democratic political objectives, including the Hillary Clinton and Al Franken campaigns. Trustee Joanne Woodward, wife of noted Hollywood star Paul Newman, donated significantly to both the Clinton and Obama campaigns. Until 2006, Teresa Heinz, wife of Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), served on the board of trustees for EDF. Heinz is also the current chairman of Heinz Endowments, a part of the Heinz Family Foundation, one of the nation's twenty-five largest charitable foundations. Current EDF trustee George Woodwell also serves on the board of the NRDC. EDF reported raising $71.8 million for the 2006 calendar year, and reported receiving contributions totaling more than $94 million during the 2006 IRS filing period. Of that amount, the organization spent $18.9 million to promote their stance on climate change issues, and $19.5 collectively on land and ocean environmental issues.

It is surprising that this group would target Bingaman who has put forth “The American Clean Energy Leadership Act” in his role within the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. This act features everything that the democrat funded group is looking for so obviously they are attempting to get the rubes in New Mexico to support their senator’s ill-advised legislation.

Oh, and China (the country building 2-3 coal plants per week over the next ten years) leading the United States in clean energy is as believable as Iran seeking nuclear material for peaceful means. It’s too bad that control freak political organizations wishing this country back to the stone age spend so much, it’s good that the stations here get the money, but after the tenth time today it’s tempting to take a bat to the radio.