Democrats Make Political Hay On The Environment

By Jeanne Meserve/CNN

WASHINGTON (April 22) -- With all the subtlety of a chain saw, Democrats are slashing Republicans on the environment.

Declared House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, "Speaker Gingrich as we know is quite a fan of visiting zoos, maybe because he knows by the time the Republicans are through a lot of these animals might be extinct."

The environment was resurrected as a political issue when the Republican revolutionaries of the 104th Congress set out to roll back environmental protection in the name of property rights, and regulatory relief. House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Delay (R-Tex.) called the Environmental Protection Agency "the gestapo of government."

Next to nothing was actually accomplished, but damage was done to the Republican image. "They made an awful lot of people nervous," acknowledged Republican pollster Frank Luntz. "They were using the buzz words, the code words that sounded like they didn't care (96K WAV sound)."

A Republican pollster found, by greater than a 2-to-1 margin, voters have more confidence in the Democrats than Republicans to protect the environment.

Democrats pounced on a winning issue. President Clinton emphasized the environment in his State of the Union address. Secretary of State Warren Christopher declared the environment a priority in international affairs. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit used an earth day photo op to go after the Republicans. "They started a year ago saying we don't like these environmental laws. We're going to wreck the Clean Water Act, we are going to start closing down national parks (96K WAV sound)."

But Republicans point out the Clinton Administration's own environmental record is lackluster. Says GOP Rep. Sherman Boehlert: "They haven't done a heck of a lot. They've talked a good game (64K WAV sound)."

Republicans are countering by greening-up. But critics say only the words have changed. For example: when Republicans tout increased funding for the Florida everglades as proof of their good environmental intentions, the critics point out a Republican rider to an appropriations bill that would cripple wetlands enforcement.

"As the governor of Florida said, how can you be for the everglades and against wetlands?" asked E.P.A. administrator Carol Browner.

Republicans are not, by tradition, anti-environment. President Nixon established the E.P.A. President Bush acted to curb acid rain and the use of cholorflurocarbans.

Some Republicans and some Democrats are pleading for a return to bipartisan cooperation on the environment. But in this election year, with green issues red-hot, that is probably blue sky.

This story originally appeared on CNN's "Inside Politics."

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