For enviros in the Pacific Northwest, the Hanford nuclear site is a Very Big Deal. The decommissioned nuclear production complex along the Columbia River in central Washington manufactured the plutonium used in the first nuclear bomb. Today, Hanford is the most contaminated nuclear site in the country and the focus of the nation's largest environmental cleanup.
Or it would be, if the federal government weren't mucking it up.
In a recent appearance in Oregon, Barack Obama admitted that he doesn't know what it is:
That's sure to annoy enviros in the region. You'd think a staffer would have briefed him before he headed up there. At least he came clean instead of trying to filibuster.
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Comments View as Flat
GreyFlcn Posted 10:54 am
19 May 2008
"Don't worry I'll fix it!"
Ah yes, Handford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pjidsOytZ8
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WWAGD?! Posted 11:15 am
19 May 2008
That was his strong point...right?
So, let's see. Iran and Iraq are small countries, so we can appease them. And although he would help the environment, he comes to the Northwest and doesn't know the name of the single biggest toxic site in the region.
Sheesh.
Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))
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GreyFlcn Posted 2:09 pm
19 May 2008
Remind me
Since when is talking to someone equivalent to physically giving them something big. (i.e. Major concessions)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK0d8ENS__c
_
And also, if we don't talk to them, what are our options?
- Stick our heads in the sand, and hope for the best
- Start a Costly/Deadly War
Frankly neither of those sound like good options to me.Permalink
Quinn Posted 2:39 pm
19 May 2008
No one's perfect
I applaud his integrity.
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naught101 Posted 4:00 pm
19 May 2008
not such a bad answer
Considering that A) he's never said he's an environmentalist and B), he isn't from the North West.
How many greenies from the Midwest know about Handford? Probably a fair few don't.
I'd much prefer his answer to a pre-written one that you might expect ("We're going to do our best to clean this up as soon as you vote us in").
check out http://www.envirowiki.info, the knowledge database for environmentalists and activists.
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KevinMichael Posted 4:30 pm
19 May 2008
Obama lacks substance.
Obama is the definition of an empty suit but I liked his candor in that situation. He is good looking, likable, and charming but I think his convictions drop off sharply.
Anyone who thinks the government is capable of running a universal health care system lacks true intelligence. Get a clue people.
Stay positive, love your life.
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amazingdrx Posted 4:34 pm
19 May 2008
Honesty
But you know he studied it in depth after that question. So you can trust him to do the right thing.
We finally have someone who will listen to us. I think we can make our case better than industry lobbyists, given this chance.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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Russ Posted 7:15 pm
19 May 2008
health care
Kevinmichael says:
Well, I don't know if it is or isn't. But, given the fact that the predatory market has definitively failed to provide a rational, equitable health care system, I think it's time to give the government a chance at bat.
I guess you're saying it's impossible for anyone to do it.
(Unfortunately, Obama is not even remotely proposing any such real health care reform.)
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BlackBear Posted 9:58 pm
19 May 2008
Was it really a fumble?
Is it really a fumble to say, "I don't know?" The man has people jawing at him 24/7 and all of them think they know how to win an election and fix the world. If we're honest with ourselves we can admit that it would be frankly impossible to absorb it all.
I agree with the above poster. I would much rather see "I don't know, but you can be sure as anything I'm going to find out," instead of "I can definitely tell you that it's a priority that will be addressed sometime in the future." I Definitely think I prefer honesty.
Someone else accused Sen. Obama of having shallow convictions. Well perhaps that's true (I don't know him personally) but who's fault is that? We The People are regularly given the opportunity to elect people with strong convictions but such people are drummed out of the primaries because having strong convictions makes you unpopular. Remember that the winners of any game are those that are the best at it. In this case, winning means appealing to the lowest common demoninator.
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Baby Boomer Posted 11:56 pm
19 May 2008
Environmental Concerns
OK, I'm from the SE and I've never heard of Hanford. We have a few sites in this region that need cleaning up so I would rather have someone say they don't know and promise to find out about it, than to pander and promise.
As for substance, Obama has as much substance as any politician working to be elected - and that's quite a low bar to set.
And just to add, I lived in two countries with universal healthcare: France and Canada. My experiences were for the most part positive. My experience lately with the U.S. system of bottomline insurance companies and for-profit health centers - not so good. As a nation we need to be open to all solutions and to discussions of pros and cons. Now we're just a nation of name callers and labelers - nothing seems to be discussed without denigrating the other person instead of addressing arguments.
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amazingdrx Posted 12:14 am
20 May 2008
South Carolina wasted
So the tree huggers want to close your nuclear landfill, what to do?
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/03/america/NA-GEN- ...
You open one that accepts the rad waste that was supposed to be going to Yucca Mountain.
http://www.dontwastesc.com/content/view/141/1/
Those are good jobs! Handling that waste. Yikes.
Wouldn't Carolinians rather work at a wind or solar power factory?
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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askantik Posted 3:48 am
20 May 2008
Get a clue, eh?
So Kevin, you're insulting my intelligence? Are you also insulting the intelligence of the dozens of other countries who have REAL, working, universal healthcare? Are you insulting the 30+ countries that have higher life expectancies and lower infant mortality rates than the United States? Here's a couple of those countries. You might have heard of them:
Now, you might say that these countries all have fewer people than us, so a universal program is easier. Not true. Compare their GDP to theirs, and you'll see it doesn't matter. The GDP/population ratio is way higher in the United States than even the runner-up which is Japan.
Please don't make blanket statements. You can argue wait times, etc. in your response and, in addition to these claims not being factual evidence (they are always anecdotal), but I only responded to your first impudent spouting off. Do not proceed to tell me to "get a clue" when you do not have one yourself.
Thank you.
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askantik Posted 3:59 am
20 May 2008
Having strong convictions makes you unpopular
Exactly. Remember poor old Kucinich? You know, the guy with the 30 year-old "trophy" wife and the dumpy face? What a shit-faced liberal. Oh wait, he had plans for a REAL single-payer healthcare system? Oh wait, he actually HAD environmental plans (Works Green Administration)??? A cabinet-level Department of Peace!!
Man, he actually had plans to make the United States great instead of just playing the game and getting his pockets lined by special interests. That's too bad, because that's not what Presidents are for in this country. We need and want someone who will continue to play the game while making no real progress for our country!
/end sarcasm
BlackBear is exactly right. If you are too honest, too up-front, and too likeable, then people are afraid of you. This is fueled by the media stamping you as foolish and totally on the fringe.
Anyhow, Obama is all right. This answer was actually pretty good. I'd like to see how Hillary or McCain would've responded. Obama is far from a true American hero like Kucinich (some people laugh when I say that, but go back and look at the voting record and how Kucinich has lived his life-- look at what his wife has done and get over the fact that she's young and hot!).
I've never heard of this clean-up problem, and if, like the questioner said, Washington tries to cover it up, then it's only reasonable that Obama wouldn't know about it. Let us hope that Obama actually lives up to this hype. I don't buy it, I just think he's charismatic and witty. But if he is elected and actually does something... well, I'll be proud.
I think all three (yes, we have more than three, but I mean reasonable) choices we have now are less favorable than people like Kucinich, in my opinion.
Your opinion may differ, of course. It is my secret prayer that Obama has a revelation and puts Kucinich somewhere in his cabinet. It's a stretch, I know...
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raevynn Posted 5:38 am
20 May 2008
All things to all people
Beware the politicians that are!
I'm glad Obama is able to look someone in the eye and say, "I don't know." Makes me suspect he may follow up with, "Let's find out," followed by, "Hey, let's fix this."
But, I'm a dreamer. And I'm not the only one.
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Wrightsfd Posted 8:48 am
20 May 2008
I don't know either
I've never heard of that place and I'm a pretty die hard environmentalist. Maybe it is just us people from Illinois. Can any of you folks from Washington state tell me which company is dumping increased levels of mercury into Lake Michigan because they got a waiver from the state of Indiana? It has been all over the news here the last couple years. I'll give you a hint, they are an oil company and their name rhymes with Yiddish Congoleum.
Oh and to KevinMichael, you are everything I hate about the internets.
First you say I "lack true intelligence get a clue," then tell me to "stay positive." I don't get it. Maybe that is why I think the U.S. government can have universal healthcare that works.
Kevin Wright
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human power Posted 11:11 am
28 May 2008
Hanford is NOT the biggest
Our salmon fisheries have collapsed. That means our many rivers and former forests (now tree farms) are near death. Sorry, that is a much bigger environmental story than Hanford here in the Northwest.
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