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xchrom

(108,903 posts)
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 08:05 AM Jun 2014

Now climate hawks have their own super PAC

http://grist.org/politics/now-climate-hawks-have-their-own-super-pac/

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A realization has been gradually dawning on climate change activists: Too many Democrats vote the right way on their issues but never lead on them. Yet every big legislative victory requires lawmakers who will publicly argue for an issue and aggressively push legislation.

And so activists have started launching political action committees (PACs) to identify and aid candidates who will be outspoken, active climate leaders. In California, the new state-level PAC Leadership for a Clean Economy endorsed its first two State Assembly candidates earlier this year. And now a national counterpart, Climate Hawks Vote, has gotten going as well, starting to build support for climate leaders in congressional races. (Tom Steyer’s NextGen Climate Action super PAC is also aiming to influence elections, but it’s mostly focused on knocking out bad actors rather than finding and supporting good ones.)

Last Thursday, the Climate Hawks super PAC announced its first endorsements: Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz (D), who is facing a primary challenge from Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, and Stanley Chang (D), a Honolulu city councilman running to replace Hanabusa in the House of Representatives. Climate Hawks has hired two field organizers in Hawaii to knock on Democratic voters’ doors and raise awareness about Schatz’s and Chang’s environmental credentials. (As a super PAC, Climate Hawks can endorse candidates and run ads and “education campaigns,” but it cannot donate directly to a candidate or coordinate with his or her campaign.)

Schatz has already proven himself a leader on climate policy in the Senate. As for Chang, Climate Hawks Vote is impressed by his eagerness to talk about the issue. “Chang has a really, really sound grasp of climate politics and policy,” says R.L. Miller, cofounder and executive director of Climate Hawks Vote. “Compare his website to [Democratic primary opponent Mark] Takai, who only talks about clean energy but not climate. That’s a big tell if you stick your neck out to talk about climate rather than just clean energy.”
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