Bush enrages yet another constituency

Okay.  You can expect Bush to piss off gays, union members, environmentalists, social progressives, African-Americans, teachers, women, and Libertarians, just to name a few.  But now he has crossed the wrong crowd-hunters and fisherman.

Yes, it's true- most if not all of the major hunting and fishing groups are furious at Bush for destroying the environment.  (No habitat-no animals to shoot).  I'm no hunting fan, but if these guys (and women) can do something to help the environment, I'm behind 'em. These groups are 3-1 Republican, but they are fed up.  The list is long, but their biggest beefs (no pun intended), include logging in the Tsongas, oil and gas exploration in WY, TX, and UT.  

This is rich.  I plan to get on their blogs and see what we can do to get them on board (or at least off the Bush board).  I worry that Bush may postpone his additional environmental destruction just long enough to get re-elected.

Here's the link where you can stream the NPR story:

http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=2&prgDate=current

Here's a synopsis of the NPR story:

Outdoors Enthusiasts Question Bush Policies

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports on the growing opposition among hunters and anglers to the Bush administration's environmental policies. The outdoors enthusiasts -- many of them lifelong Republicans -- oppose the president's re-election.   

•  Logging in the Tsongas

  Alas, that would be grave robbery. Poor Sen. Tsongas has been decade for about a decade now. I also question whether there is any serious presence of valuable resources in Tsongas. I assume you meant the Tongass. :)

  by leftist on Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 11:45:32 PM PDT

•  Logging in the Tsongas

  Alas, that would be grave robbery. Poor Sen. Tsongas has been dead for about a decade now. I also question whether there is any serious presence of valuable resources in Tsongas. I assume you meant the Tongass. :)

  by leftist on Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 11:47:08 PM PDT

  •  Tongass

    .. of course.  I wanted to find a printed version of the story, so I could double check that, but alas it would only stream.

    by ABB on Tue Mar 02, 2004 at 02:42:06 AM PDT

•  The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

  That's as pithy as I can get right now.  I'm loving every group that comes out, against all logic, against Bush.

  Although one has to entertain the conspiracy theory angle - what if all these groups are making anti-Bush noise to lull us into a false sense of complacency.  ;-)

  by switzerblog on Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 11:53:14 PM PDT

  •  How is this against all logic?

    Environmentalists and hunters have long shared an alliance on preservation.  I think hunting is stupid, but hunters do appreciate the outdoors and they understand if the environment is trashed there won't be anything to hunt.  

    by Asak on Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 11:56:38 PM PDT

    •  Geez, you guys think too much

      I see the connection, but hunters and fishermen are a very logical Bush supporting group.  Hence, it's illogical when they turn on him.  That's my only point.  

      Trust me, I'm tired and hungry, so I'm not using any real meaty intellectual skills here.  As opposed to my normal postings, of course...

      by switzerblog on Tue Mar 02, 2004 at 12:10:37 AM PDT

      •  Actually...

        This point of view (betrayed best in the original journal: I'm no hunting fan, but if these guys (and women) can do something to help the environment, I'm behind 'em.) makes me wonder where exactly people here think the conservation movement started.  You might be suprised to find out that wihtout sportsmen, there never would have been environmentalism.

        by Patton on Tue Mar 02, 2004 at 12:41:33 AM PDT

      •  logical?

        Good lord, he's pissed in their coffeepots with this. I think the only "logical" thing for them to do is oppose. It isn't as if any of the Democratic candidates are crusading to ban hunting and fishing.

        by sagesource on Tue Mar 02, 2004 at 02:08:22 AM PDT

•  Yay NPR!

  My husband is a hunter.  We both fish.  In 2000 my husband had so many friends with the "Sportsmen for Bush" stickers on their vehicles.  He almost blew a gasket trying to get them to understand: "no habitat = no hunting". He is a strong supporter of gun rights, but couldn't believe that his hunting buddies felt the gun issue outweighed the habitat issue.  He understood that having a gun for hunting would be pointless without having anything to hunt.  We both are working on our conservative, hunting, previously Bush voting, friends to at least not vote for Bush this time.  They'll never go for a Democrat ("They want our guns!"), but at least it might result in fewer votes for the un-compassionate, un-conservative chimp in chief.
   

  by espresso on Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 11:56:02 PM PDT

  •  Dean

    always said he and the NRA in VT went against the property rights freaks. just another reason why i thought he was the most "electable."

    i really do think the NRA is one group liberals/Dems need to lay off of. go after the NAM or farm bureau or cattleman's association or big energy PACs. the leadership of the NRA is wacko, but much of the rank and file doesn't agree with them. it's how i feel about NARAL or NOW--leadership is way too extreme for me, but i would still consider myself a member of those groups and would defend them against attacks from teh right wing.

    by ihlin on Tue Mar 02, 2004 at 12:19:55 AM PDT

•  False Dichotomy

  Hunters and fishermen vs. environmentalists.  Groups like the Nature Conservancy have been working in recent years to bridge the gap between these two camps.  Mutual interest trumps ideology.

  by skunky wazoo on Tue Mar 02, 2004 at 12:04:57 AM PDT

•  One can look no further...

  One can look no further to find Bush bashing than your nearest Field & Stream magazine. I'm an avid fisherman and sometimes hunter and the Bush bashing in the Field & Stream (they endorsed Bush in 2000 I think)is just - RIPE! It goes for most of the hunting & fishing magazines as well. Nice to see that Bush might not get all of the "Sportsmen" vote.

  by Modest Mouse on Tue Mar 02, 2004 at 12:21:25 AM PDT

•  'bout Damn Time!!

  Most re-thug voters vote against their self interest, but for me, the outdoorsmen who vote for the GOP and King Chimp, are probably the most deluded of the bunch...

  I'm glad to hear that some of these guys are coming around.

  It's really a no-brainer...

  by Volvo Liberal on Tue Mar 02, 2004 at 01:42:26 AM PDT