Conservation Donors Sing Boxer's Praise

A bill to curb the causes of global warming pushed by Democratic California Sen. Barbara Boxer may have been stalled by a GOP filibuster, but that's not souring the environmental communities' support for their champion in the Senate. Tonight, the League of Conservation Voters is helping to fete the senator at a fundraiser where tickets range from $1,000 to $5,000. "Senator Barbara Boxer has been a true environmental champion—leading the effort to solve the climate crisis. Because of her commitment to tackling the challenge of global warming, and her lifetime record as an environmental champion, we would like to urge you [to] support her at a reception on June 10, at 421 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC," said LCV President Gene Karpinski in an E-mail. "Senator Boxer is up for reelection in 2010 and we know the importance of starting early in this critical state. Now, more than ever, it is essential to secure the seats of the environmental champions currently working to enact sound environmental policies for our future."

Fundraisers from supporters are nothing new, of course, except that they don't usually occur at the same time legislation pushed by the hosting special interest is in play. "If a business group did this while a bill was on the floor, they would get torched," said a lobbyist. We went to LCV spokesman David Sandretti, who offered this explanation: "We are proud to support Senator Boxer and we are not shy about supporting her by bundling campaign contributions from our LCV supporters. The difference between what we do and what a business interest, like Big Oil, does is as simple as this: public interest vs. private profit."

And any controversy aside, it ought to be an interesting get-together. Reason: Boxer's singing group, Da Dems, will entertain.