ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. 1 WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2006 8:00 P.M. >>> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS NATHAN BESS. AS CO-CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE PIEC ON BEHALF OF THEN ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY OF THE LEVIN COLLEGE OF LAW, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS KICK-OFF EVENT OF THE 12th PUBLIC INTEREST ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE AND SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION. TONIGHT, WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE WITH US MR. ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., WITH INTRODUCTORY MARKS BY MISS LAURIE DAVID. ASIDE FROM SUCCESSFUL AND ACCOMPLISHED CAREERS, BOTH OF THESE REMARKABLE INDIVIDUALS HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON. THEY'VE BOTH INVESTED ENORMOUS TIME AND RESOURCES INTO ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE KNOWLEDGE, NETWORKS AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR BOTH THE ADVOCATE AND CITIZEN ACTIVIST TO CONFRONT AND TACKLE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND ISSUES ON THE LOCAL LEVEL. WHAT WE SHOULD TAKE AWAY FROM WHAT WE HEAR THIS EVENING IS THE UNDERSTANDING THAT PROGRESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE COOPERATION AND HARD WORK OF MANY, ONE INDIVIDUAL AT A TIME. ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE 2 COUNCIL AND THE WATER KEEPER ALLIANCE HAVE THIS PRINCIPLE AS THEIR FOUNDATION. IT IS MOST APPROPRIATE THAT WE SHOULD BE FORTUNATE TO HAVE MR. KENNEDY HERE, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. SINCE IN FEW OTHER PLACES IS THE IDEA OF RESPONSIBLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP MORE IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THAN IN FLORIDA, FOR TOPICS SUCH AS OFFSHORE DRILLING, RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND SCARCITY OF POTABLE WATER ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ISSUES OF THE DAY. SO, THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT. THANK YOU TO ACCENT SPEAKER'S BUREAU, TOGETHER WITH UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STUDENT GOVERNMENT FOR SPONSORING THIS EVENING WITH LAURIE DAVID AND ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR. IT'S NOW MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE EVAN TYROLER, PRESIDENT OF ACCENT, WITH INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS EVAN TYROLER AND I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF ACCENT SPEAKER'S BUREAU. SENATOR JOSEPH LIEBERMAN OF CONNECTICUT ONCE SAID GLOBAL WARMING IS A CHALLENGE TO RISE TO, A CHALLENGE WE MUST RISE TO. TONIGHT, ACCENT SPEAKER'S BUREAU, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE PRESENTS TO YOU TWO OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE RISEN TO THE OCCASION AND 3 BROUGHT THE ISSUES OF GLOBAL WARMING TO THE FOREFRONT, MR. ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR. AND MISS LAURIE DAVID. TONIGHT, WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE MISS LAURIE DAVID INTRODUCE OUR SPEAKER TONIGHT. SHE FOUNDED THE STOP GLOBAL WARMING VIRTUAL MARCH AT STOP GLOBAL WARMING.ING OR. THROUGH OUT HER LIFE SHE HAS PRODUCED TOTE AMERICA AND URGED AUTOMAKERS IN CONGRESS TO MAKE HIGHER MILEAGE CARS AND INCREASE FUEL STANDARDS. ROBERT F. KENNEDY'S RIVERKEEPER ORGANIZATION HONORED HER WITH AN AWARD AND REFERRED TO HER AS HIS ENVIRONMENTAL SPEAKER. TONIGHT, KNOW WILL INTRODUCE ROBERT F. KENNEDY. ACCENT HAS HOSTED CONTROVERSIAL SPEAKERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. IT IS OUR GOAL TO SPARK CONTROVERSY AMONG THE STUDENT BODIES BY INFORMING THE STUDENTS AND SPEAKERS THAT ENGAGE THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. TWO DAYS AGO, ACCENT HOSTED NOBEL PRIZE WINNER MR. ELIE WIESEL. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE SPEECH TONIGHT, MR. KENNEDY WILL ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS OF THE AUDIENCE. THERE ARE MICROPHONES ON THE MAIN AISLE AND ONE ON THE BALCONY. AFTER THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION, MR. KENNEDY WILL 4 PROCEED TO THE LOBBY TO SIGN HIS NEW BOOK, "CRIMES AGAINST NATURE," ACCENT IS FUELED BY STUDENTS SUPPORT PANTED WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ACCENT IN GENERAL AND THE SPEAKER. PLEASE LEAVE FEEDBACK AT OUR TABLE OR WEBSITE. ON YOUR WAY OUT STOP BY OUR FEEDBACK TABLE AND DROP YOUR FORM THERE. ANY PERSON THAT DROPS FEEDBACK WILL BE ENTERED INTO A RAFFLE TO RECEIVE A SIGNED POSTER. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK NATHAN BESS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE FOR ALL THEIR HELP THIS EVENING. FURTHERMORE, THE ACCENT STAFF HAS TRULY WORKED HARD TO MAKE SURE TONIGHT AND ALL EVENTS HAVE BEEN A PROVEN SUCCESS THIS YEAR. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP. AS PER REQUEST OF MR. KENNEDY, WE ASK NO PICTURES BE TAKEN AFTER THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES OF THE EVENT, PLEASE TAKE THIS TIME TO TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU, ACCENT SPEAKERS BUREAU OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA PROUDLY PRESENT TO YOU, MRS. LAURIE DAVID. [~APPLAUSE~] >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. 5 RIGHT OFF THE BAT, I WANT TO ADMIT, YES, I AM MARRIED TO LARRY DAVID. YES, HE IS AS BIG A NUT IN PERSON AS HE IS ON TV. I'M NOTHING LIKE HIS TV WIFE. SHE'S HIS DREAM WIFE AND 100 TIMES NICER THAN I AM. I JUST WANT TO GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY. I'M VERY GRATEFUL I'VE BEEN GIVEN A FEW MINUTES TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT AN ISSUE YOU MAY NOT BE THINKING A LOT ABOUT YET BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER BECAUSE IT IS FAST BECOMING THE MOST URGENT CHALLENGE OF YOUR LIFETIME, GLOBAL WARMING. THIS IS NOT JUST MY OPINION, IT'S THE OPINION OF THE WORLD'S SCIENTISTS. AND ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN LARGELY IGNORED FOR THE LAST TWO DECADES. AND MUZZLED OR REWRITTEN FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, THEY HAVE CONCLUDED THAT WE NOW HAVE LESS THAN 10 YEARS. TO SLOW THIS DOWN, OR ELSE. THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE WORLD'S MOST RESPECTED EXPERTS. THE MOST CAUTIOUS GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS ON THE PLANET. SAYING WE HAVE LESS THAN TEN YEARS. SO NOW WE HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE. WHAT KIND OF WORLD ARE WE GOING TO CHOOSE TO LIVE IN? A WORLD TWO DEGREES HOTTER THAN NORMAL AND ALL THE 6 HORRIBLE IMPLICATION OF THAT OR 10 DEGREES HOTTER, THE RESULTS OF WHICH WILL BE UNIMAGINABLE. HERE ARE A VERY FEW COLD FACTS. NUMBER ONE, THERE'S CO2 IN OUR ATMOSPHERE THAN THE LAST 6 50,000 YEARS. THAT CANNOT BE GOOD. AS CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS CONTINUE TO GO UP, TEMPERATURES GO UP WITH THEM. THAT IS A FACT AND IT IS INDISPUTABLE. NO WONDER 2005 WAS THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. OVER 200 HEAT RECORDS BROKEN LAST YEAR ALONE. COLD FACT NUMBER TWO. WE ARE CAUSING IT. POWER PLANTS AND AUTOMOBILES AMONG OTHER THINGS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS PROBLEM. COLD FACT NUMBER THREE. HURRICANE KATRINA IS JUST A GLIMPSE OF WHAT'S TO COME IF WE DON'T STOP GLOBAL WARMING. WARMER AT THE PRESENT TIMES ARE WARMER OCEANS AND A STEROID FOR STORMS. THIS IS A PROBLEM WE'RE FACING NOW. THE CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL WARMING ARE UNFOLDING RIGHT BEFORE US. THE LACK OF SNOW IN THE NORTHWEST, KIDS CAME HOME FROM CHRISTMAS BREAK AND FOUND THEIR WINTER SKI RESORTS MELTED 7 AWAY. FAMILIES IN OHIO, MAKING MAPLE SYRUP FOR YOUR PANCAKES SINCE BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR WILL NOT HAVE A PRODUCT THIS YEAR BECAUSE THE TREES ARE SO CONFUSED BY THE WARM AT THE PRESENT TIMES THEY OPENED TOO EARLY. POLAR BEARS ARE LITERALLY DROWNING, UNHEARD OF BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO SWITCH FURTHER OUT TO SEE IN SEARCH FOR FOOD AND ICE. AND NOT JUST HOT BUT COLD, RECORD DROUGHTS, RECORD RAINFALL ARE REGULARLY OCCURRENCES. NEW YORK TWO WEEKS AGO HAD A RECORD BREAKING BLIZZARD ONE DAY AND RECORD BREAKING TEMPERATURES THE NEXT. CAN FLORIDA HANDLE MORE BEACH EROSION? SEA LEVEL RISE AND CONTINUED STORM WILL CONTINUE TO DAMAGE THE TWO AREAS FLORIDA DEPENDS ON MOST, TOURISM AND AGRICULTURE. VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE SAYS IN AN UPCOMING FILM, "INCONVENIENT TRUTH" A LOT OF PEOPLE GO STRAIGHT FROM DENIAL TO DESPAIR WITHOUT PAUSING IN THE MIDDLE AND DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THAT IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. WE MUST ALL PAUSE AND START DOING SOMETHING. ALL THE SOLUTIONS TO THIS PROBLEM ALREADY EXIST. THE ONLY THING MISSING IS THE WILL OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO FACE IT AND MAKE IT AN AMERICAN PRIORITY. THAT'S WHERE YOU GUYS COME IN. 8 GOVERNMENT DOESN'T CHANGE UNTIL THE PEOPLE DEMAND IT. WE NEED EVERYONE DEMANDING IT. [ APPLAUSE ] SO HERE IS ONE IDEA. IN 1963, THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON CHANGED THE DEBATE ON CIVIL RIGHTS WHEN PEOPLE POURED INTO THE STOSS DEMAND ACTION. BUT THE LAST FEW ORGANIZED MARCHS HAVEN'T WORKED AND HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO JUST 30 SECONDS ON THE EVENING NEWS. WE NEED NEW TACTICS FOR A NEW DAY. SO LET'S HAVE A MARCH ON WASHINGTON, BUT LET'S DO IT VIRTUALLY. ON THE INTERNET. AND INSTEAD OF MARCH THAT LASTS JUST ONE DAY, LET'S MARCH VIRTUALLY EVERYDAY UNTIL WE ARE MILLION STRONG. [ APPLAUSE ] >> LET'S COMBINE ALL OF OUR VOICES INTO ONE CLEAR CRY FOR ACTION. THIS IDEA WAS LAUNCHED A FEW MONTHS AGO WITH SENATOR JOHN McCAIN, A REPUBLICAN AND ROBERT F. KENNEDY, A DEMOCRAT, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT POLITICAL, IT IS MORAL. THE GLOBAL MARCH HAS ONE GOAL TO ADMIT THE GLOBE IS WARMING AND DEMAND FROM OUR GOVERNMENT MEANINGFUL SOLUTIONS. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN ALL DO TODAY AND ONLY 9 REQUIRES AN E-MAIL ADDRESS JOIN THE VIRTUAL MARCH AT STOP GLOBAL WARMING AT DOT ORG. AND SAID TWO FOOTBALL LEAGUES, SENATORS, MAYORS, MUSICIANS, ACTIVISTS AND OVER 200,000 AMERICANS ALREADY MARCHING AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED HOW QUICKLY YOUR ONE VOICE CAN TURN INTO A MILLION. I BELIEVE A MILLION VOICES WILL BE HEARD. SO, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING. BUT YOU DO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. AS WE ARE SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE MORE THAN 1 30 PROPOSED NEW COAL PLANTS UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES. FIVE POWER PLANTS ALONE IN FLORIDA. AND EVEN MORE DISTURBING, AND THIS IS REALLY ASTONISHING, ONE NEW POWER PLANT A WEEK GOES UP IN CHINA. YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE -- YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE RIGHT NOW ABOUT WHETHER TO GO FORWARD WITH BUSINESS AS USUAL, OR WHETHER TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. WHAT KIND OF CAR WILL YOU BE DRIVING? ONE THAT SITS YOU UP HIGH, BUT GETS 15 MILES TO THE GALLON OR HYBRID THAT GETS 45 MILES A GALLON. WILL YOU BE A VIRTUAL MARCHER? WILL YOU HELP SAVE THE POLAR BEAR? YOU NEED TO DECIDE AND YOU NEED TO DECIDE TODAY. IT IS MY EXTREME HONOR TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THE MAN A VIRTUAL 10 MARCHER, AUTHOR OF "CRIMES AGAINST NATURE" FIGHTING POLLUTERS ON OUR BEHALF OVER 20 YEARS AND WHO FIRST INSPIRED ME AND SENT ME ON MY PATH OF ACTIIVISM. A MAN WHO I THINK WILL BE INSPIRING YOU ON YOUR PATH TONIGHT. ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR. [~APPLAUSE~] >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS A LOT. I WOULD ASK IF WE CAN RAISE THE HOUSE LIGHTS SLIGHTLY. I WANT TO SEE IF PEOPLE ARE LEAVING. I'M REALLY, REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE. LET ME ASK A QUESTION. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE BATS COME OUT OF THE BATHOUSE? SO, OKAY, LIKE VERY FEW. WELL, I WAS IN THE CAR WITH TWO STUDENTS WHO TOOK US OVER THERE. THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE. I WAS PRETTY ASTOUNDED BECAUSE IF THAT WAS NEXT TO MY HOUSE, I'D BE DOWN THERE EVERY NIGHT. IT WAS JUST AMAZING, WHEN WE WENT DOWN THERE AND SAW ALL LIKE 60,000 OF THEM CAME OUT AT ONCE, BUT -- AND I AM REALLY, REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE IN GAME IN GAINESVILLE. WE HAD A WONDERFUL DINNER WITH DEAN JERRY OF THE LAW 11 SCHOOL AND DEAN MACHIN AND HIS CHARMAINING WIFE, CHRIS AND WE HAD A WONDERFUL AFTERNOON AND EVENING HERE. AND I JUST CAME FROM A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH ONE OF THE -- WITH SOME OF THE STUDENTS. ONE OF THE STUDENTS ASKED ME AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE ABOUT MY BOOK, ABOUT WHETHER I HAD MADE THE STATEMENT THAT PRESIDENT BUSH WAS THE WORST ENVIRONMENTAL PRESIDENT IN OUR HISTORY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I MADE THAT IN THE BOOK, BUT I WANT TO SAY THIS, BECAUSE THE BOOK IS ON SALE HERE AFTERWARDS. THE BOOK REALLY ISN'T ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AS MUCH AS IT IS ABOUT THE CORROSIVE IMPACT OF EXCESSIVE CORPORATE POWER ON A DEMOCRACY, ON AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. [ APPLAUSE ] >> IT'S NOT A -- IT IS A CRITIQUE OF THE PRESIDENT BUT NOT A PARTISAN CRITIQUE. IT'S NOT -- I'M NOT CRITICIZING PRESIDENT BUSH BECAUSE I'M A DEMOCRAT AND HE'S A REPUBLICAN. I'VE BEEN DISCIPLINED OVER 22 YEARS AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE ABOUT BEING NONPARTISAN AND BIPARTISAN IN MY APPROACH TO THESE ISSUES. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY SUCH THING AS DEMOCRATIC CHILDREN OR REPUBLICAN CHILDREN. I THINK THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO THE ENVIRONMENT IS IF IT BECOMES THE PROVINCE OF A SINGLE 12 POLITICAL PARTY. I'VE SUPPORTED BOTH DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. I'LL SUPPORT ANY CANDIDATE REGARDLESS OF PARTY IF THEY'RE GOOD ON THIS ISSUE AND I'LL CRITICIZE ANY CANDIDATE WHO ISN'T. IF WE HAD-IF PRESIDENT BUSH WAS A DEMOCRAT, I WOULD CRITICIZE HIS POLICIES AS -- JUST AS STRONGLY. THE FACT IS, THIS IS -- YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT IN ANY CONTEXT TODAY WITHOUT -- IF YOU CAN'T TALK HONESTLY ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY, IN ANY CONTEXT TODAY WITHOUT SPEAKING CRITICALLY OF THIS WHITE HOUSE. THIS IS THE WORST ENVIRONMENTAL ADMINISTRATION WE'VE HAD IN AMERICAN HISTORY. [ APPLAUSE ] >> IF YOU GO TO NRADC'S WEBSITE, THE DEFENSE COUNCIL, ONE OF THE GROUPS I WORK. YOU WILL SEE ROLLBACKS THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS OVER THE YEARS TO EVISCERATE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW. IT'S A STEALTH ATTACK AND THEY'VE CREATED INGENIOUS THINGS TO STILL THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. THEY CALL IT THE HEALTHY FOREST ACT AND DESTROY THE AIR, THEY CALL IT THE HEALTHY SKIES BILL. MOST INSIDIOUSLY THEY PUT POLLUTERS IN CHARGE OF THE 13 AGENCIES SUPPOSED TO PROTECT AMERICANS FROM POLLUTION? THE HEAD OF THE FOREST SERVICE IS A TIMBER ADVOCATE, MARK RAY. THE HEAD OF PUBLIC LANDS IS A MINING INDUSTRY LOBBYIST, WHO BELIEVES PUBLIC LANDS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. >> THE HEAD OF EPA IS A UTILITY LOBBYIST, JEFFREY HOMESTEAD, REPRESENTS ONE OF THE MOST WORST HOME POLLUTERS THROUGH OUT HIS ENTIRE CAREER. >> THE HEAD OF SUPERFUNDS IS AN ATTORNEY HEAD OF SUPERFUNDS, THE EPA HEAD IS AN ENSANTO LOBBYIST AND THIS CHARACTER PHILLIP KUEHNE, THE SECOND IN COMMAND ON THE COUNCIL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN THE WHITE HOUSE ADVISING THE PRESIDENT ON ALL OF HIS ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES, KUEHNE WAS, UNTIL HE TOOK THIS JOB, THE CHIEF LOBBYIST FOR THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE. HIS JOB, SINCE HE JOINED THE WHITE HOUSE, HAS BEEN TO COMB THROUGH ALL SCIENTIFIC DOCUMENTS TO REMOVE ALL CRITICAL INDUSTRY AND COAL INDUSTRY. HIS JOB WAS TO LIE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND TAKE SCIENCE AND DISTORT IT AND SUPPRESS IT AND OMIT IT TO DECEIVE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT IS TRUE AND WHAT IS NOT TRUE. IF YOU GO THROUGH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS OF OF GOVERNMENT RELEVANT, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND AGRICULTURE AND INTERIOR AND ENERGY AND EPA AND EVEN THE RELEVANT 14 DIVISIONS OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, YOU'LL FIND THE SAME THING. IT IS THE LOBBYIST FOR THE WORST OF THE WORST OF THESE INDUSTRIES, POLLUTING INDUSTRIES NOW RUNNING THE AGENCY SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING THE REST OF US FROM POLLUTION. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING BUSINESS PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT. IT'S A GOOD THING IF YOUR OBJECTIVE IS TO RECRUIT COMPETENCE AND EXPERTISE. IN ALL OF THESE SITUATIONS, AS I SHOW IN MY BOOK, THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE NOT ENTERED GOVERNMENT SERVICE FOR THE PUBLIC -- TO SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST BUT RATHER TO SUBVERT THE VERY LAWS THEY'RE NOW CHARGED WITH ENFORCING. THEY'VE IMPOSED TREMENDOUS DIMINUTION IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE ON OUR COUNTRY. MOST AMERICANS DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, DON'T MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS BECAUSE WE HAVE AN INDOLENT AND NEGLIGENT PRESS IN THIS COUNTRY THAT IS SIMPLY LET DOWN -- [ APPLAUSE ] >> AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. YOU SEE THIS EVERYWHERE, WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE. THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN PRESS BEGAN IN 1988, WHEN RONALD REAGAN ABOLISHED THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE. WE HAD A LAW IN THIS COUNTRY CALLED THE FAIRNESS 15 DOCTRINE IN PLACE FROM 1928, FROM THE DAWN OF COMMERCIAL RADIO THAT SAID THAT THE AIR WAVES BELONGED TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, THAT THE BROADCASTERS USED THEM BUT ONLY LICENSED TO USE THEM BUT ONLY WITH THE PROVISO THEY USED THEM TO PROMOTE THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND ADVANCE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. THERE WERE THREE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS. ONE WAS THAT THE -- THAT THE AIR WAVES BE USED TO INFORM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT ISSUES OF PUBLIC IMPORT. THAT'S WHY ALL THE NETWORK NEWS BROADCASTERS HAD NEWS HOURS AT 6:00 AT NIGHT. THEY DIDN'T WANT THAT. THEY WERE FORCED TO DO THAT BECAUSE NEWS DEPARTMENTS ARE MONEY LOSERS. THEY WANTED TO PUT ENTERTAINMENT ON. THEY HAD TO INFORM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT WAS THE NEWS. IF THEY GAVE YOU -- IF THEY DIDN'T GIVE YOU REAL NEWS, THEY COULD LOSE THEIR LICENSE. LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO TENDAL NEWS SERVICES, THAT ANALYZES CONTENT ON TELEVISION AND RADIO, LESS THAN 4% OF THE 15,000 MINUTES OF NETWORK NEWS WERE DEVOTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL STORIES AND MOST OF THOSE STORIES WERE LIKE HUMAN INTEREST TYPE STORIES, LIKE WHALES CAUGHT IN THE SEA AND A TIGER ESCAPES FROM A ZOO AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH 16 ISSUES LAURIE WAS TALKING ABOUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND TO MAKE RATIONAL DECISION IS IN OUR DEMOCRACY. WELL, THE SECOND REQUIREMENT OF THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE WAS THEY TELL BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY. YOU COULDN'T HAVE RUSH LIMBAUGH, YOU COULD HAVE A RUSH LIMBAUGH ON BUT YOU COULDN'T HAVE HIM AND HIS ILL 24 HOURS A DAY ON THE SAME STATION. YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE RUSH AND THEN A DIFFERENT KIND OF VOICE. RUSH LIMBAUGH GOT STARTED IN 1988 WHEN RONALD REAGAN ABOLISHED THE FAIRNESS ACTION, NOT A COINCIDENCE. NUMBER THREE, THEY HAD TO AVOID CORPORATE CONSOLIDATION, LOCAL CONTROL AND DIVERSITY OF CONTROL. CONGRESS WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE IN KANSAS WERE ABLE TO GET FARMERS WERE ABLE TO GET CROP REPORTS, PEOPLE IN NORTH DAKOTA COULD GET TORNADO WARNINGS, PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH, COUNTRY MUSIC, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO -- YOU WOULDN'T HAVE PROGRAMMING AND CONTENT DICTATED BY A COUPLE OF CORPORATE EPICENTERS. RONALD REAGAN ABOLISHED THAT LAW IN 1988, AS A FAVOR TO THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT, WHICH WAS ALREADY THEN PLANNING TO TAKE OVER TALK RADIO. AND AS -- AND TO THE BIG STUDIO HEADS WHO HELPED HIM GET ELECTED. YOU TALK ABOUT -- YOU HEAR ALL THE TIME, THIS PHRASE 17 LIBERAL MEDIA, BUT THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A LIBERAL MEDIA IN THIS COUNTRY. THAT'S WHAT GERBELS USED TO CALL THE BIG LIE, YOU SAY IT ENOUGH PEOPLE BELIEVE IT. IF YOU LOOK, THERE'S A RIGHT WING MEDIA IN THIS COUNTRY, AND DISPROPORTIONATE, WHERE THE AMERICANS ARE GETTING THEIR NEWS. 30% OF AMERICANS SAY THEIR PRIMARY NEWS SOURCE IS TALK RADIO, 90% DOMINATED BY THE RIGHT. 22% SAY FROM CABLE NEWS, MAINLY FOX NEWS, MSNBC AND CSNBC AND SINCLAIR NETWORK, THE RIGHT WING OF ALL, THE LARGEST NETWORK IN THIS COUNTRY RUN BY A FORMER PORNOGRAPHER, WHO REQUIRES ALL 75 OF HIS NETWORK AFFILIATES, LOCAL AFFILIATES TO TAKE A PLEDGE THEY WILL NOT REPORT CRITICALLY ABOUT PRESIDENT BUSH OR ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAQ. WHAT HAPPENS SINCE RONALD REAGAN ABOLISHED THE FAIRNESS STATUTE, YOU HAVE NOW FIVE GIANT MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATIONS WHO CONTROL ALL 14,000 RADIO STATIONS IN AMERICA, ALL 6,000 TELEVISION STATIONS, 80% OF OUR NEWSPAPERS, ALL OF OUR BILLBOARDS AND MOST OF THE LARGE INTERNET CONTENT PROVIDERS. SO WE HAVE FIVE GUYS WHO ARE DECIDING WHAT AMERICANS HEAR AS NEWS. AND THE NEWS DEPARTMENTS HAVE BECOME CORPORATE PROFIT 18 CENTERS. THEY FIRED THEIR FOREIGN NEWS BUREAUS AND THAT'S WHY YOU CANNOT GET FOREIGN NEWS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA UNLESS YOU GO TO BBC. IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I BELIEVE WE'RE INVOLVED IN THIS WAR IN IRAQ. PEOPLE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT EVERYBODY IN EUROPE AND CANADA UNDERSTANDS. [ APPLAUSE ] >> THAT PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO MEET US WITH FLOWERS IN THE STREETS. 6,000 YEARS OF FIGHTING WILL RESULT IN CIVIL WAR. 80% OF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS. AND THE NEWS DEPARTMENTS, AS I SAID, HAVE BECOME CORPORATE PROFIT CENTERS, SO YOU KNOW LONGER -- THEY NO LONGER HAVE ANY OBLIGATION TO SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST. THEIR ONLY OBLIGATION IS TO THEIR SHARE HOLDERS. HOW DO YOU FULFILL THAT OBLIGATION? BY INCREASING VIEWERSHIP TO GENERATE MORE AD REVENUE. HOW DO YOU INCREASE VIEWERSHIP? BY NOT EXPLAINING THE REALLY DIFFICULT ISSUES WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE AND NATIONAL DEBT AND DEFICIT AND CONTROL OF OUR PORTS AND ALL OF THIS KIND OF THING, YOU DO IT BY ENTERTAINING US, BY APPEALING 19 TO THE PURIENT INTEREST ALL OF US HAVE IN THE REPTILIAN CORE OF OUR BRAIN FOR SEX AND CELEBRITY GOSSIP. THEY GIVE US MICHAEL JACKSON AND LACI PETERSON AND BRAD AND JEN. MOST AMERICANS KNOW MORE ABOUT BRAD AND JEN THAN THEY DO ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING WE'RE THE BEST ENTERTAINED AND LEAST INFORMED PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. [ APPLAUSE ] THAT HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON AMERICAN POLITICS. FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR NATIONAL HISTORY, PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE A DEMOCRACY LONG IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN INFORMED PUBLIC. THOMAS JEFFERSON SAID, THAT AN UNINFORMED PUBLIC -- HE HAD A BIG FIGHT BECAUSE JEFFERSON SAID -- JEFFERSON WANTED TO GIVE POWER TO THE PUBLIC. HE AGREED WITH MADISON AND JOHN J. AND SOME OF THE OTHERS THAT THE PUBLIC QUICKLY BECOMES A MOB. HE SAID AN UNINFORMED PUBLIC WILL TRADE 100 YEARS OF HARD FOUGHT CIVIL RIGHTS FOR A HALF HOUR OF WELFARE, IN OTHER WORDS, FOR A 300 DOLLARS TAX BREAK, YOU'LL TEAR UP THE CONSTITUTION BILL OF RIGHTS AND THEY'LL FOLLOW TYRANTS OR DEMAGOGUE OR RELIGIOUS FANATIC THAT COMES ALONG AND PROMISES A TAX BREAK. THAT'S WHY YOU NEED AN INFORMED PUBLIC. THAT'S WHY THEY PASS ALL OF THESE DEBATES AND 20 REHASHING, WHEN THEY DID THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE THEY REALIZED RADIO WAS THE PRIMARY MECHANISM FOR TEACHING THE PUBLIC, FOR PASSING OPINIONS AND INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC. THEY DIDN'T WANT THAT IN THE HANDS OF A FEW CORPORATIONS, BUT IT HAD TO BE IN THE HANDS OF THE PUBLIC AND HAD TO BE A PUBLIC SERVICE PURPOSE. WHAT'S HAPPENED, I'VE KNOWN THIS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, THAT I GO AROUND THE COUNTRY AND I TALK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, I GET THE SAME REACTION FROM COLLEGE GROUPS THAT I DO FROM -- I USED TO DO 40 SPEECHES A YEAR IN RED STATES TO REPUBLICAN AUDIENCES. THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE IN THE RESPONSE GET FROM THOSE AUDIENCES THAN THE RESPONSE I GET FROM LIBERAL COLLEGE GROUPS. THEY ALL -- EXCEPT THE REPUBLICAN GROUPS COME UP AFTERWARDS AND SAY, HOW COME I NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE? I SAY, BECAUSE YOU'RE WATCHING, YOU KNOW, FOX AND GETTING YOUR NEWS FROM RUSH. I'VE ALWAYS -- I THOUGHT, AS I SAID TO LAURIE EVER SINCE I MET HER, I SAID 80% OF REPUBLICANS ARE JUST DEMOCRATS WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE THEIR VALUES -- [ APPLAUSE ] THEIR VALUES ARE THE SAME. I DON'T BELIEVE ALL THESE PUNDITS, YOU KNOW, THESE 21 PUNDITS ON TV, WE CALL THEM IN MY HOUSE THE SATURDAY MORNING GAS BAGS. THEY COME ON AND THEY SAY THE RED STATES AND BLUE STATES AND RED STATES OR, YOU KNOW, THE MORALS, THEY HAVE THE MONOPOLY ON MORALITY AND BLUE STATES ARE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DISSOLUTE OR DEGENERATE. I DID THIS FOR "VANITY FAIR" REASONABLE, HAD MY RESEARCHER GO OUT AND DO ANALYSIS ON BLUE STATE AND RED STATES USING THE INDICIA WE GENERALLY JUDGE MORALITY. I FOUND OUT WHAT I SUSPECTED, THERE REALLY WAS NO MORAL DIFFERENCE OR RELIGION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLUE STATES AND RED STATES. THE LOWEST DIVORCE RATE IN THIS COUNTRY IS MASSACHUSETTS. THE HIGHEST IS TEXAS. THE LOWEST TEEN PREGNANCY RATE IN THIS COUNTRY IS MASSACHUSETTS, THE HIGHEST IS TEXAS. THE TEN LOWEST DIVORCE RATES ARE ALL BLUE STATES. THE TEN LOWEST -- THE TEN HIGHEST ARE ALL RED AND THE SAME WITH TEEN PREGNANCY. A RED STATE RESIDENT IS MORE LIKELY TO MURDER YOU, IMPREGNATE YOUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER, TO COMMIT A NON-VIOLENT CRIME, COMMIT A VIOLENT CRIME, TO BUY PORNOGRAPHY, TO WATCH "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" ON TV, TO PLAY DEGENERATE VIDEO GAMES LIKE GRAND THEFT AUTO, ET CETERA, ON AND ON, 22 HIGHEST ABORTION RATE IS MISSISSIPPI. THERE WASN'T THIS MORAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO, BUT WHAT THERE IS, IS THERE'S A HUGE INFORMATIONAL DIFFERENCE. THERE'S AN INFORMATIONAL DEFICIT IN THOSE STATES THAT ARE -- YOU KNOW, THEY CALL THE RED STATES. AFTER THE ELECTION, THE PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND DID AND EXTENSIVE SURVEY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CURRENT EVENTS OF PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR BUSH VERSUS PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR KERRY. WHAT THEY FOUND WAS WHAT WAS FOUND LAST WEEK, 85% OF THE TROOPS IN IRAQ BELIEVE THAT WE ARE IN IRAQ TO PUNISH SADDAM HUSSEIN FOR BOMBING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. IS THAT POLL FROM LAST WEEK. AFTER THE ELECTION, 70% OF THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR BUSH SAID THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN HAD BOMBED THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND THAT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION WERE FOUND IN IRAQ. 64% OF THEM SAID THAT THEY BELIEVE PRESIDENT BUSH STRONGLY SUPPORTED THEKIOTE PROTOCOL AND STRENGTH% SAID OUR INVASION OF IRAQ WAS STRONGLY SUPPORTED BY MUSLIM WORLD AND OUR TRADITIONAL ALLIES IN EUROPE. THAT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE FOREIGN NEWS ON OUR TV. WHEN THEY WENT BACK AND ASKED TO THE SAME PEOPLE TWICE, TWO MORE TIMES. THE SECOND TIME, THEY SAID TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAD ALL 23 THIS MISINFORMATION, THEY SAID, WHERE ARE YOU GETTING YOUR NEWS? THEY SAID TALK RADIO AND FOX NEWS. THEY WENT BACK A THIRD TIME AND ASKED THESE QUESTIONS THAT WERE DESIGNED TO ELICIT THEIR FUNDAMENTAL VALUES, THEY ASKED A SERIES OF HYPOTHETICALS, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY SAID TO THEM, WHAT IF SADDAM HUSSEIN HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH BOMBING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER? WHAT IF THERE WERE NO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN IRAQ AND IF THE INVASION OF IRAQ WAS NOT STRONGLY SUPPORTED BY THE MUSLIM WORLD, SHOULD WE HAVE STILL GONE IN THERE? 84% OF DEMOCRATS AND 84% OF REPUBLICANS SAID THE SAME THING. WE SHOULD NOT. IN OTHER WORDS, THEIR CORE VALUES WERE THE SAME, THE ONLY THING THAT WAS DIFFERENT WAS THE INFORMATION. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A MEDIA IN OUR COUNTRY THAT IS DOING ITS JOB OF INFORMING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. I SEE THIS IN MY -- YOU KNOW, IN MY WORK ALL THE TIME, THAT PEOPLE DON'T -- SEE AN ASTHMATIC KID BUT DON'T MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT ASTHMA ATTACK. EVERYBODY NO, SIR THAT'S MAT TICK KID BUT DON'T MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT KID AND THE MONEY TAKEN BY THE 24 WHITE HOUSE TO GET RID OF UTILITIES THAT, THE LAWS THAT WOULD HAVE PROTECTED THE KID. MOST RED STATE FISHERMEN. I GO BUY A FISHING LICENSE EVERY YEAR. WHEN I BUY THE FISHING LICENSE, IT SAYS YOU CAN'T FISH IN ANY OF THESE PLACES ANYMORE BECAUSE OF MERCURY CONTAMINATION. YOU CAN'T EAT THE FISH. I READ THAT, I'M SAYING, YOU KNOW, THAT SON OF A BITCH, GEORGE BUSH, WHEN I READ IT. [ APPLAUSE ] >> MOST RED STATE FISHERMEN, THEY READ IT AND SAY, OH, SOMEBODY PUT MERCURY IN THE FISH. AND THEN THEY GO PULL THE LEVER AND DO THE WHOLE THING AGAIN. BUT I SEE THIS ALL OVER. I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF -- I SAID, AT THE OUT-SET THAT DIM MUNITION, THESE POLICIES OF THE WHITE HOUSE OF THE PAST FIVE YEARS HAVE IMPOSED ENORMOUS DIMUNITION OF LIFE AND OUR QUALITY OF OUR COUNTRY. I HAVE MANY IN MY BOOK AND THESE POLICIES THAT HAVE A STRANGLE HOLD ON THIS WHITE HOUSE, CORPORATE HOG FARMS AND AGRICULTURE AND NUCLEAR INDUSTRY AND CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. I WILL TALK ABOUT ONE INDUSTRY THAT HAS A LOT OF RELEVANCE TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA. 25 THAT IS THE COAL BURNING POWER PLANTS I HAVE THREE SONS THAT HAVE ASTHMA. 1 OUT OF EVERY 4 BLACK CHILDREN IN AMERICAN CITIES NOW HAS ASTHMA. WE KNOW ASTHMA ATTACKS ARE TRIGGERED PRIMARILY BY BAD AIR AND OZONE AND PARTICULATES. THE PRINCIPLE SOURCE OF THOSE IN OUR ATMOSPHERE ARE 1100 COAL BURNING POWER PLANTS BURNING COAL ILLEGALLY. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE CLEANED UP THOSE EMISSIONS 17 YEARS AGO AND ELIMINATED THEM. MANY PLANTS DID BUT ABOUT 1100 DID NOT. THEY FLAUNTED THE LAW. THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION WAS PROSECUTING ABOUT 25 OF THOSE CRIMINAL ADMITTERS CRIMINALLY AND CIVILLY. THIS IS AN INDUSTRY THAT DONATED 48,000 TO PRESIDENT BUSH DURING THE 2000 CYCLE AND GIVEN SINCE. THIS ADMINISTRATION AFTER IT TOOK OFFICE WAS AWARD THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND EPA TO DROP ALL THOSE LAWSUITS. THE TOP FOUR ENFORCERS ALL RESIGNED THEIR JOBS. SYLVIA LAWRENCE AND OTHERS IN PROTEST. THESE WEREN'T DEMOCRATS, THEY WERE PEOPLE WHO SERVED THROUGH THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION AND BUSH ADMINISTRATION. THE TOP JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF THOSE CASES SAID THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN AMERICAN HISTORY, WHERE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ACCEPTS MONEY FROM 26 CRIMINALS UNDER INDICTMENT AND ORDERS THOSE CASES DROPPED WHEN HE ACHIEVES OFFICE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER DOING THAT, THE PRESIDENT ABOLISHED THE NEW SOURCE RULE, WHICH WAS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE CLEAN AIR ACT, THE MOST IMPORTANT PROVISION OF THE ENTIRE STATUTE, THE PROVISION THAT REQUIRES THOSE PLANTS TO CLEAN UP 17 YEARS AGO. NOW, THERE IS NO LONGER ANY REQUIREMENT THAT ANY EVER CLEAN UP THEIR OZONE AND PARTICULATES. I'LL BE ABLE TO WATCH MY CHILDREN GASPING FOR AIR ON BAD AIR DAYS BECAUSE SOMEBODY GAVE MONEY TO A POLITICIAN. IF YOU GO TO EPA's WEBSITE NOT OUR D.C.'S WEBSITE, BUTEPA'S WEBSITE, YOU'LL SEE THAT SINGLE DECISION BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION KILLS 18,000 AMERICANS EVERY YEAR, SIX TIMES THE NUMBER KILLED IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACKS, YEAR AFTER YEAR. THIS SHOULD BE THE FRONT PAGE HEADLINE OF EVERY NEWSPAPER IN THIS COUNTRY EVERYDAY. BUT YOU WON'T READ ABOUT IT IN THE AMERICAN PRESS. [ APPLAUSE ] ABOUT NINE MONTHS AGO, THEEPA ANNOUNCED IN 19 STATES IT'S UNSAFE TO EAT ANY FRESH WATER FISH IN THE STATE BECAUSE OF MERCURY CONTAMINATION. IN 48 STATES, AT LEAST SOME OF THE FISH ARE NOW UNSAFE TO EAT FOR MERCURY. 27 IN FACT, THE ONLY TWO STATES WHERE ALL THE FISH ARE SAFE TO EAT ARE WYOMING AND ALASKA, WHERE THE REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED LEGISLATURES HAVE REFUSED TO APPROPRIATEIATE THE MONEY TO TEST THE FISH. IN ALL THE OTHER STATES AT LEAST SOME, OR MOST OR ALL THE FISH ARE UNSAFE TO EAT. MERCURY IS COMING FROM THE SAME COAL BURNING POWER PLANTS. WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT MERCURY WE DIDN'T KNOW A FEW YEARS AGO. WE KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, ACCORDING TO CDC, ONE OUT OF EVERY SIX AMERICAN WOMEN NOW HAS SO MUCH MERCURY IN HER WOMB, HER CHILDREN ARE AT RISK FOR A GRIM INVENTORY OF DISEASES INCLUDING AUTISM, BLINDNESS, MENTAL RETARDATION, KIDNEY AND LIVER DISEASE. I HAVE SO MUCH MERCURY IN MY BODY, I GOT MY LEVELS TESTED RECENTLY. ANY WOMAN -- EVERYBODY SHOULD GETS THEIR LEVELS TESTED BUT PARTICULARLY ANY WOMAN OF CHILD BEARING YEARS SHOULD HAVE THEIR LEVELS TESTED CERTAINLY BEFORE THEY CONSIDER HAVING A CHILD. YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE TO WATER KEEPER, AND THERE'S AN ADDRESS THERE AND SEND US A LOCK OF YOUR HAIR, JUST A LITTLE CUTTING AND WE'LL TEST IT AND SEND YOU BACK YOUR RESULTS. 28 [ APPLAUSE ] >> I GOT MY LEVELS TESTED RECENTLY AND MY LEVELS ARE MORE THAN DOUBLE THE LEVELS EPA CONSIDERS SAFE, JUST FROM EATING FISH. THE FISH THAT REALLY IS HEAVILY CONTAMINATED IS TUNA AND SUSHI IS WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY HEAVY MERCURY LOADS, PEOPLE THAT EAT A DECENT AMOUNT OF SUSHI. MY LEVELS WERE SO HIGH, I WAS TOLD BY DR. DAVID CARPENTER, ONE OF THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES OF MERCURY CONTAMINATION, A WOMAN WITH MY LEVELS OF MERCURY IN MY BLOOD WOULD HAVE CHILDREN WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, PERMANENT BRAIN DAMAGE. MIGHT HAVE, NO, VERY CERTAIN, HER CHILDREN WOULD HAVE SOME LEVEL OF PERMANENTIQ LOSS OF PROBABLY FIVE TO SEVEN POINTS. TODAY, ACCORDING TO CDC, THERE ARE 640,000 CHILDREN BORN IN AMERICA EVERY YEAR WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO DANGEROUS LEVELS OF MERCURY IN THEIR MOTHER'S WOMBS, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, RECOGNIZING THE GRAVITY OF THIS NATIONAL HEALTH EPIDEMIC RECATEGORIZED MERCURY AS HAZARDOUS CLEAN AIR ACT AND REQUIRED 90% OF PLANTS REMOVE 90% OF MERCURY WITHIN 3 1/2 YEARS, IT WOULD HAVE COST LESS THAN 1% OF PLANT REVENUE, A GREAT DEAL FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND THAT'S THE INDUSTRY THAT GAVE 100 MILLION TO THIS PRESIDENT A FEW DAYS AGO THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCED IT 29 WAS ABOLISHING CLINTON ERA RULES AND ADOPTING RULES WRITTEN BY UTILITY LOBBYISTS THAT WOULD REQUIRE THEM NEVER TO CLEAN UP THAT MERCURY. THE NEW RULES WERE WRITTEN BY LAW FIRM CALLED LATHAN AND WATKINS, A LAW FIRM FOR THE WORST OF THE WORST OF THESE ENTERPRISES, A SOUTHERN COMPANY, A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE ONE OF THOSE BEING PROSECUTED CRIMINALLY BY THE PRESIDENT. THE CHIEF LOBBYIST FOR THAT LAW FIRM WAS UNTIL RECENTLY A MAN NAMED JEFFREY HOMESTEAD, WHO TODAY IS THE HEAD OF THE AIR DIVISION AT EPA. HE JUST TOOK LANGUAGE THAT WAS WRITTEN BY HIS OLD FIRM FOR HIS CLIENTS AND MADE IT INTO A LAW, TO BENEFIT HIS CLIENTS. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THESE INDUSTRIES ARE RUNNING GOVERNMENT, THE LOBBYISTS ARE, IT BLURS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC INTEREST OR BLURS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN WHETHER THEY'RE WORKING FOR THEIR OLD BOSSES. THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT WORKING FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. I LIVE ABOUT -- WE'RE LIVING TODAY IN A SCIENCE FICTION NIGHT MASTER, WHERE MY CHILDREN AND THE CHILDREN OF MOST AMERICANS CAN NOW NO LONGER ENGAGE IN THE PRIMAL ACTIVITY OF AMERICAN YOUTH, TO GO FISHING WITH THEIR FATHER AND MOTHER IN A LOCAL FISHING HOLE AND COME HOME AND SAFELY EAT THE FISH BECAUSE SOMEBODY GAVE MONEY TO A POLITICIAN. 30 I LIVE ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS SOUTH OF THE OUTER RONDEX MOUNTAINS, THE OLDEST PROTECTED WILDERNESS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH, PROTECTED EVER WILD SINCE 1988. WE HAD A RIGHT, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO BELIEVE GENERATIONS OF OUR CITIZENS WOULD BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE PRISTINE LANDSCAPES AND FORESTS AND LAKES. TODAY, ONE-FIFTH OF THE LAKES IN THE OUTER RONDEX IS STERILIZED FROM ACID RAIN DESTROYED BY THE COAL PLANTS AND FROM THE HIGHER APPALACHAINS AND THIS PRESIDENT HAS GOTTEN RID OF REQUIREMENTS THEY CLEAN UP THAT ACID RAIN AND THIS YEAR, THE EPA, THE LEVEL OF DIOXIDE HAS GONE UP 4% IN ONE YEAR, AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT IN ONE YEAR. IN MAY, I FLEW OVER THE COAL FIELDS OF THE APPALACHAINS, WHERE THIS COAL IS COMING FROM, OVER WEST VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY, IF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE COULD SEE IT, IT WOULD BE A REVOLUTION IN THIS COUNTRY. WE ARE CUTTING DOWN THE APPALACHAIN MOUNTAINS, THE SOURCES OF OUR CULTURE, WE'RE CUTTING THEM DOWN WITH GIANT MACHINES CALLED DRAG LINES, 22 STORIES HIGH, ONE OF THESE MACHINES. IT COST HALF A BILLION DOLLARS FOR ONE MACHINE AND PRACTICALLY DISPENSE FOR ANY NEED FOR HUMAN LABOR WHICH WAS THE POINT. WHEN MY FATHER WAS FIGHTING STRIP MINING BACK IN THE '60's -- 31 [ APPLAUSE ] >> I REMEMBER A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH HIM WHEN I WAS 14 YEARS OLD, HE SAID THEY'RE NOT JUST DESTROYING THE ENVIRONMENT BUT PERMANENTLY IMPOVERISHING THESE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY TO REGENERATE A ECONOMY FROM THE BARREN LANDSCAPES. HE SAID THEY'RE DOING IT TO BREAK THE UNION. THERE WERE 148,000 UNIONIZED MINE WORKERS IN WEST VIRGINIA DIGGING COAL OUT OF TUNNELS IN THE GROUND, TODAY ABOUT 11,000 MINERS LEFT AND NOT UNIONIZED BECAUSE THE STRIP INDUSTRY ISN'T GETTING THE SAME AMOUNT OF COAL IN WEST VIRGINIA AND THE MONEY, RATHER THANKING BACK TO THE COMMUNITIES IS LEAVING THE STATE AND GOING BACK TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON FIFTH AVENUE, WHO OWN AND RUN THEM. USING THESE GIANT MACHINES AND 2500 TONS OF DYNAMITE, THAT THEY EXPLODE EVERYDAY IN WEST VIRGINIA, A HIROSHIMA BOMB EVERY WEEK, THEY'RE BLOWING THE TOPS OFF THE MOUNTAINS AND SCRAPING THE COAL BENEATH AND SCRAPING ROCK AND DEBRIS AND RUBBLE INTO THE ADJACENT RIVER VALLEY THEY ALREADY BURIED 1200 MILES OF RIVER AND CREEKS AND STREAMS AND FLATTENED A PLACE THE SIZE OF DELAWARE BY THE TIME THE PRESIDENT LEAVES OFFICE. IT'S ILLEGAL. YOU CANNOT TAKE ROCK AND DEBRIS AND RUBBLE IN THE U.S. AND DUMP IT WITHOUT A CLEAN WATER ACT PERMIT AND YOU CAN 32 NEVER GET A CLEAN WATER ACT PERMIT TO DO SUCH A THING. WE SUED THEM AND WON THE LAWSUIT IN FRONT OF A CONSERVATIVE FEDERAL JUDGE, CHARLES HAYDEN, AND HE SAID THE SAME THING I DID AND ENJOINED ALL MOUNTAINTOP MINING. TWO DAYS FROM WHEN WE GOT THAT DECISION, STEVEN GROWLES MET IN THE BACK OF THE WHITE HOUSE AND REWROTE ONE WORD, THE DEFINITION OF THE WORD "FILL" TO CHANGE 30 YEARS OF STATUTORY INTERPRETATION TO MAKE IT LEGAL, AS IT IS TODAY, TO DUMP ROCK, DEBRIS, GARBAGE, CONSTRUCTION, WASTE, ANY KIND OF SOLID MATERIAL INTO THE WATERWAY OF THE UNITED STATES WITHOUT A WATER ACT PERMIT. ALL YOU NEED NOW IS A RUBBER STAMP PERMIT FROM THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, YOU CAN GET OVER THE PHONE OR MAIL AND DON'T HAVE TO SHOW PROTECTION WITH IT. THIS IS WHAT WE ARE STRUGGLING AGAINST TODAY. THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT DESTROYING OUR ENVIRONMENT, A SUBVERSION OF OUR DEMOCRACY. THE POLLUTING INDUSTRIES AND THEIR INDENTURED SERVANTS IN OUR POLITICAL PROCESS HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY ADEPT IN RECENT YEARS, IN MARGINALIZING ENVIRONMENTALISTS AS RADICALS OR TREE HUGGERS, OR AS I HEARD THE OTHER DAY, PAGANS WHO WORSHIP TREES AND SACRIFICE PEOPLE, BUT THERE'S NOTHING -- THERE IS NOTHING RADICAL ABOUT THE IDEA OF CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER FOR OUR CHILDREN. AND WE ARE NOT -- 33 [ APPLAUSE ] WE ARE NOT PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE SAKE OF THE FISHES AND BIRDS, WE'RE PROTECTING IT BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE IT'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF OUR COMMUNITIES. IF WE WANT TO MEET OUR OBLIGATION AS A GENERATION, AS A CIVILIZATION, NATION, TO CREATE COMMUNITIES FOR OUR CHILDREN, THAT PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIGNITY AND ENRICHMENT AS THE COMMUNITIES THAT OUR PARENTS GAVE US, WE'VE GOT TO START BY PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE, THE AIR WE BREATHE, WATER WE DRINK, WILDLIFE, FISHERIES, PUBLIC LANDS THAT ENRICH US, CONNECT US TO OUR PAST, TO OUR HISTORY. THAT ARE THE SOLE SOURCE ULTIMATELY OF OUR VALUES AND VIRTUES AND CHARACTER AS A PEOPLE. AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU TALK TO THESE PEOPLE, AND ON CAPITOL HILL AND THE WHITE HOUSE AND CONGRESS, WHO ARE DISMANTLING ALL OUR ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND ASK THEM, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, WHAT THEY INVARIABLY SAY, ONE OF THE REPORTERS ASKED ME AT ONE OF MY PRESS CONFERENCES, WE HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ECONOMIC PROSPERITY ON THE ONE HAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ON THE OTHER. THAT IS A FALSE CHOICE. IN 100% -- [ APPLAUSE ] IN 100% OF THE SITUATIONS, GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY IS 34 IDENTICAL TO GOOD ECONOMIC POLICY. IF WE WANT TO MEASURE THE ECONOMY, THIS IS HOW WE ARE TO BE MEASURING IT, BASED ON HOW IT PRODUCES JOBS AND DIGNITY OF JOBS OVER PROSPERITY OVER THE LONG-TERM AND HOW IT PROVIDES THE VALUE OF ASSETS OF OUR COMMUNITY. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE WANT TO DO WHAT THIS WHITE HOUSE IS URGING US TO DO, TREAT THE PLANET AS THOUGH IT WERE BUSINESS AND LIQUIDATION, CONVERT OUR NATIONAL RESOURCES TO CASH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, HAVE A FEW YEARS OF POLLUTION BASED PROSPERITY, WE CAN GENERATE AN INSTANTANEOUS CASH FLOW AND ILLUSION OF PROSPER ROUSE ECONOMY BUT OUR CHILDREN WILL PAY FOR OUR JOYRIDE WITH RUINED LANDSCAPES AND HEALTHCARE COSTS THAT AMPLIFY OVER TIME THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PAY. ENVIRONMENTAL ENERGY IS DEFICIT SPENDING IT I WAS OF LOADING THE COST ON TO THE BACKS OF OUR CHILDREN. ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE DONE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS IS CONSTANTLY GO AROUND AND CON FRONT THIS ARGUMENT THAT AN INVESTMENT IN OUR ENVIRONMENT IS A DIMINUTION OF OUR WEALTH. IT DOESN'T DIMINISH IT. IT'S AN INVESTMENT WE HAVE TO MAKE IF WE'RE GOING TO ENSURE THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF OUR GENERATION AND THE NEXT GENERATION. YOU KNOW, THIS WORD SUSTAINABILITY THAT 35 ENVIRONMENTALISTS LOVE TO USE, ALL THAT WORD MEANS IS THAT GOD WANTS US TO USE THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN GIVEN, THE BOUNTIES OF THE EARTH TO ENRICH OURSELVES, TO IMPROVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, TO SERVE OTHERS. WE CAN'T USE THEM UP. WE CAN'T SELL THE FARM PIECE BY PIECE IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THE GROCERIES, WE CAN'T DRAIN THE POND TO CATCH THE FISH. WE CAN'T CUT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN TO GET AT THE COAL. WE CAN LIVE OFF THE INTEREST, WE WANT GO INTO THE CAPITAL, THAT BELONGS TO OUR CHILDREN. [ APPLAUSE ] >> I WANT TO SAY THIS. THERE IS NO STRONGER ADVOCATE FOR FREE MARKET CAPITALISM THAN MYSELF. I BELIEVE THAT THE FREE MARKET IS THE MOST EFFICIENT AND DEMOCRATIC WAY TO DISTRIBUTE THE GOODS OF THE LAND AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BEST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO THE ENVIRONMENT, IF WE HAD TRUE FREE MARKET CAPITALISM IN THIS COUNTRY, THE FREE MARKET ENCOURAGES EFFICIENT SAID IN THAT MEANS THE ELIMINATION OF WASTE AND POLLUTION IS WASTE. THE FREE MARKET WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO PROPERLY VALUE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. IT'S THE UNDERVALUATION OF THOSE RESOURCES THAT CAUSE US TO USE THEM WASTEFULLY. 36 IN A TRUE FREE MARKET ECONOMY, YOU CAN'T MAKE YOURSELF RICH WITHOUT MAKING YOUR NEIGHBORS RICH, WITHOUT ENRICHING YOUR COMMUNITY. WHAT POLLUTERS DO, WHAT POLLUTERS DO, THEY MAKE THEMSELVES RICH BY MAKING EVERYBODY ELSE POOR. THEY RAISE STANDARDS OF LIVING FOR THEMSELVES BY LOWERING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. AND THEY DO THAT BY ESCAPING THE DISCIPLINE OF THE FREE MARKET. YOU SHOW ME A POLLUTER, I'LL SHOW YOU A SUBSIDY. I'LL SHOW YOU A FAT CAT USING POLITICAL CLOUT TO ESCAPE THE DISCIPLINE OF THE FREE MARKET AND FORCE THE PUBLIC TO PAY HIS PRODUCTION COSTS. THAT'S WHAT ALL POLLUTION IS. IT'S THEFT. [ APPLAUSE ] CORPORATIONS ARE EXTERNALIZING MACHINES, CONSTANTLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO GET SOMEBODY ELSE TO PAY THEIR COSTS OF PRODUCT. ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO DO THAT IS THROUGH POLLUTION BY SHIFTING YOUR CLEANUP COSTS TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH -- OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO CLEAN UP YOUR MESS. WE LEARN THAT IN KINDERGARTEN, WE CLEAN UP AFTER OURSELVES, WHAT POLLUTERS DO, THEY GET SOMEBODY ELSE TO 37 CLEAN UP THEIR MESS. THEY DO IT BY STEALING THE PUBLIC TRUST ASSETS, COMMONS, THINGS THAT BELONG TO THE COMMUNITY, AIR, WATER, THINGS NOT SUSCEPTIBLE TO PRIVATE OWNERSHIP, BY THEIR NATURE ARE THE SHARED ASSETS OF THE COMMUNITY. IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY DON'T HAVE VALUE, THEY DO, BUT THEY'RE SHARED BY ALL OF US. THE PUBLIC TRUST ASSETS, LIKE THE AIR, WATER, WANDERING ANIMALS, FISHERIES, WETLANDS, DO YOU KNOW LAND, ACKQYFERS. FROM THE ROMAN TIME, IF YOU'RE A ROMAN CITIZEN, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF DIGRESSION, THIS WHOLE TALK HAS TURNED INTO A DIGRESSION. THE CODE OF JUSTINIAN SAID IF YOU'RE A ROMAN CITIZEN, RICH OR POOR, HUMBLE OR NOBLE, YOUNG OR OLD, YOU HAVE AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO CROSS A BEACH AND THROW IN YOUR NET AND TAKE OUT YOUR SHARE OF THE FISH. THE EMPEROR HIMSELF CAN'T STOP YOU. ALL THE PUBLIC TRUST ASSETS WERE PROTECTED UNDER THE COMMONS, CODE OF JESINNIAN. WHEN ROMAN LAW BROKE DOWN DURING THE DARK AGES, THE LOCAL LORDS AND KINGS BEGAN REASSERTING CONTROL OF THE PUBLIC ASSETS. THAT'S THE FIRST MARK OF A TYRANNY, EFFORT BY THE PEOPLE OF CONTROL TO PRIVATIZE THE COMMONS, TO STEAL THE PUBLIC TRUST. 38 [ APPLAUSE ] >> DURING THE DARK AGES, YOU HAD ALL OVER EUROPE, FOR EXAMPLE IN ENGLAND, KING JOHN SAID THE DEER NO LONGER BELONGED TO THE PEOPLE, THEY BELONG TO THE NOBILITY. ONLY WE'RE ALLOWED TO HUNT HIM. THAT'S WHAT GOT HIM HIN TROUBLE WITH ROBIN HOOD. AND ERECTED TALL BARRIERS ON ENGLAND AND BEGAN SELLING MONOPOLIES TO THE FISHERIES SO THE POOR PEOPLE COULDN'T FISH ANYMORE. ONLY PEOPLE WHO OWNED THE CORPORATIONS ABLE TO MAKE DEALS WITH THE KING. AND IN RESPONSE TO THOSE MOVES, THE PUBLIC ROSE UP, AND REBELLED AGAINST HIM AND MET HIM AT THE BATTLE OF RUNNING IMMEDIATE AND FORCED HIM TO SIGN THE MAGNA CARTA, THE BEGINNING OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAGNA CARTA, IT'S OUR BILL OF RIGHTS IN IT, BUT IN ADDITION, IT HAS CHAPTERS ON FREE ACCESS TO FISHERIES AND NAVIGABLE WATERS AND COMMONS AND THOSE RIGHTS DESCENDED TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THE PEOPLE OWN THE FISH OF THE STATE, THEY'RE NOT OWNED BY THE GOVERNOR, NOT OWNED BY THE LEGISLATE TIRE, NOT OWNED BY THE FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, OWNED BY THE PEOPLE, EVERYBODY HAS A RIGHT TO USE THEM. NOBODY CAN USE THEM THAT WILL DIMINISH THEIR USE AN ENJOYMENT BY OTHERS. 39 THAT'S THE LAW IN ALL 50 STATES. IN SOME PLACES YOU CAN'T CATCH THE FISH, THEY'VE BEEN STOLEN, PRIVATIZED, POISONED BY SOMEBODY WHO MADE MONEY DOING IT. THAT'S WHAT POLLUTION IS, A THEFT OF A PUBLIC, A THEFT OF A SUBSIDY. WHEN THESE COAL BURNING POWER PLANTS BUT MERCURY IN THE AIR THAT POISONED OUR CHILDREN'S BRAINS AND MAKES IT I CAN'T FISH IN NEW YORK STATE EVEN THOUGH I PAID 30 BUCKS FOR A FISHING LICENSE I CAN'T EAT THE FISH, THEY'VE STOLEN IT FROM MEY PRIVATIZED IT, PUT OZONE PARTICULATES WHICH KILL 18,000 AMERICANS EVERY YEAR, A MILLION ASTHMA ATTACKS, A MILLION LOST WORK DAYS, PUT THINGS IN THE OUTER RONDEX AND PUT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TIMBER STANDS THEY'RE IMPOSING COSTS ON THE REST OF US, SHOULD IN A TRUE FREE MARKET ECONOMY BE REFLECTED IN THE PRICE OF THAT COMPANY'S PRODUCT WHEN IT MAKES IT TO THE MARKET. WHAT ALL THE FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS WERE PETERSON TO DO, ALL 28 FEDERAL LAWS PASSED AFTER EARTH DAY, 1970, ALL INTENDED TO DO WAS TO RESTORE FREE MARKET CAPITALISM IN OUR COUNTRY, BY FORCING ACTORS IN THE MARKET PLACE TO PAY THE TRUE COST OF BRINGING THEIR PRODUCT TO MARKET. WHAT WE DO, AS RIVERKEEPERS, I WANT TO INTRODUCE, NEIL, HERE TONIGHT, THE ST. JOHNS RIVERKEEPERS, WE HAVE 157 RIVERKEEPERS AROUND THE COUNTRY, EACH WITH PATROL BOATS 40 THAT GO OUT ON TO THEIR WATERWAY AND SUE LOCAL POLLUTERS, ENFORCE THE LAWS THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT ENFORCING, WHAT WE DO, WHAT OUR JOB IS TO DO, I DON'T EVEN CONSIDER OURSELVES ENVIRONMENTALISTS ANYMORE, WE'RE FREE MARKETERS, WE GO OUT INTO THE MARKET PLACE AND CATCH THE CHEATERS, POLLUTERS AND SAY TO THEM, WE ARE GOING TO FORCE YOU TO INTERNALIZE YOUR COSTS. THE SAME WAY THAT YOU INTERNALIZE YOUR PROFITS, BECAUSE AS LONG AS SOMEBODY IS CHEATING THE FREE MARKET, IT DISTORTS THE WHOLE MARKETPLACE AND NONE OF US GET THE ADVANTAGE AS DEMOCRACY THE FREE MARKET OTHERWISE PROMISES OUR COUNTRY. WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AS AMERICANS IS THAT THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FREE MARKET CAPITALISM WHICH DEMOCRATIZES THE COUNTRY AND THE CORPORATE CRONY CAPITALISM EMBRACED BY THIS WHITE HOUSE AS AN ANTITHETICAL AS NIGERIA. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH CORPORATIONS, THEY'RE A GOOD THING. I OWN A CORPORATION, THEY DRIVE OUR ECONOMY, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND JOBS, AND THEY DO GOOD THINGS FOR US. THEY SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING OUR GOVERNMENT. THE REASON FOR THAT -- [ APPLAUSE ] 41 IS CORPORATIONS DON'T WANT THE SAME THING FOR AMERICA YOU AND I WANT. CORPORATIONS DO NOT WANT FREE MARKETS, THEY DO NOT WANT DEMOCRACY, THEY WANT PROFITS. THE WAY FOR THEM TO GET PROFITS TOO OFTEN IS TO USE THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY, WHICH IS JUST A SYSTEM OF LEGALIZED BRIBERY TO GET THEIR STAKES INTO A PUBLIC OFFICIAL AND GET THAT PUBLIC OFFICIAL TO GIVE THEM AN ADVANTAGE IN THE MARKET, DISMANTLE THE MARKETPLACE AND DISPRIVATE SIZE THE COMMONS AND IT'S ABOUT PLUNDER. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH CORPORATIONS. A CORPORATION LEGALLY CANNOT DO SOMETHING PHILANTHROPIC IN THIS COUNTRY UNLESS THEY HAVE A PROFIT MOTIVE BEHIND IT. IF THEY DO -- WHEN YOU SEE WAL-MART SENDING WATER BOTTLES TO THE KATRINA VICTIMS, THAT'S A NICE THING FOR THEM TO DO. THEY'RE NOT DOING IT TO BE NICE. THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE THEY THINK IT WILL HELP THEM MAKE MORE PROFITS IN THE LONG RUN, THROUGH PUBLICITY OR SOME KIND OF REFLECTION ON THE CORPORATE IMAGE. IF THEY DON'T HAVE A PROFIT MOTIVE BEHIND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEIR SHAREHOLDERS CAN SUE THEM AND RECOVER. THEY'RE LEGALLY NOT ALLOWED TO ENGAGE IN PURE 42 PHILANTHROPY. THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY IT WITH A PROFIT MOTIVE. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. THAT'S HOW WE CREATED THEM, THEY'RE DESIGNED TO FUNCTION AND MAXIMIZE VALUE IN THE MARKETPLACE. THEY HAVE TO BE KEPT WAY AWAY FROM GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THE PEOPLE WITH THAT KIND OF MORALITY, WHICH IS NONE AT ALL TO BE RUNNING OUR GOVERNMENT. THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE MORALITY. WE WANT SOME KIND OF MORALITY IN OUR GOVERNMENT. THAT'S WHY FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR NATIONAL HISTORY, OUR MOST VISIONARY POLITICAL LEADERS, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN WARNING AMERICAN PEOPLE AGAINST DOMINATION OF CORPORATE POWER. THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN REALLY GOOD AT CONVINCING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, AND A GULLIBLE PRESS, THE BIG THREAT TO AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IS BIG GOVERNMENT. BIG GOVERNMENT IS A THREAT. OF COURSE, WE NOW KNOW IT'S REALLY BIG THREAT BECAUSE THEY'RE TORTURING PEOPLE AND EAVESDROPPING ON US AND RUNNING UP THESE DEBTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. IT'S A BIG THREAT. BUT IT ITS DWARFED BY THE THREAT OF EXCESSIVE CORPORATE POWER. 43 THAT'S WHY FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR NATIONAL HISTORY, TEDDY ROOSEVELT, A REPUBLICAN SAID AMERICAN WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED BY A FOREIGN ENEMY. HE WARNED OUR DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS WOULD BE SUBVERTED BY MALOFACTORS OF GREAT WEALTH FROM WITHIN. DWIGHT EISENHOWER WARNED AGAINST THE DOMINATION OF MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, THE GREATEST REPUBLICAN IN OUR HISTORY SAID, DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THE HEIGHT OF THE CIVIL WAR IN 18 63, I HAVE THE SOUTH IN FRONT OF ME, AND I HAVE THE BANKERS BEHIND ME AND FOR MY COUNTRY, I FEAR THE BANKERS MORE. AND FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT SAID, DURING WORLD WAR II, THAT THE DOMINATION OF GOVERNMENT BY CORPORATE POWER IS QUOTE, THE ESSENCE OF FASHISM. AND BENITO MUSSOLINI WHO HAD AN INSIDER'S VIEW SAID THE SAME THING, FASHISM SHOULD NOT BE CALLED FASHISM, IT SHOULD BE CALLED CORPORATISM. IT THIS IS MERGER OF STATE AND CORPORATE POWER. AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE DOMINATION OF BUSINESS BY GOVERNMENT IS CALLED COMMUNISM. THE DOMINATION OF GOVERNMENT BY BUSINESS IS CALLED FASCISM. AND WHAT OUR JOB IS TO WALK THAT NARROW TRAIL IN BETWEEN, WHICH IS FREE MARKET CAPITALISM AND DEMOCRACY AND 44 HOLD BIG GOVERNMENT AT BAY WITH OUR RIGHT HAND AND EXCESSIVE CORPORATE POWER AT BAY WITH OUR LEFT. IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEED AN INFORMED AND INVIGORATED ENERGETIC PUBLIC AND ENERGETIC AND INDEPENDENT PRESS WILLING TO SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER. WE NO LONGER HAVE THAT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD MAKE ALL OF US WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR DEMOCRACY BECAUSE DEMOCRACY IS A LOT MORE PRECARIOUS THAN MOST AMERICANS, I THINK THINK WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT IT. I WANT TO JUST SAY ONE MORE THING, WHICH IS THE POINT I KIND OF STARTED OFF WITH, THAT WE'RE NOT PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT SO MUCH FOR THE FISHES AND THE BIRDS, FOR NATURE'S SAKE, BUT FOR OUR OWN SAKE. WE RECOGNIZE NATURE ENRICHES US. IT ENRICHES US ECONOMICALLY, YES, THE BASE OF OUR ECONOMY AND WE IGNORE THAT AT OUR PERIL. THE ECONOMY IS A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF THE ENVIRONMENT. IT ALSO ENRICHES US AESTHETICALLY AND CULTURALLY AND HISTORICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY AND HUMAN BEINGS HAVE OTHER APPETITES BESIDES MONEY. IF WE DON'T FEED THEM WE'RE NOT GOING TO BECOME THE KIND OF HUMAN BEINGS OUR CREATOR INTENDED US TO BECOME. WE'RE NOT FIGHTING THEM TO SAVE THOSE ANCIENT FORESTS 45 IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, AS RUSH LIMBAUGH LOVES TO SAY, FOR THE SAKE OF THE SPOTTED OWL, WE'RE PRESERVING THOSE FORESTS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THE TREES HAVE MORE VALUE TO HUMANITY STANDARD THAN THEY WOULD IF WE CUT THEM DOWN. [ APPLAUSE ] >> I'M NOT FIGHTING FOR THE HUDSON RIVER, FOR THE SAKE OF THE STRIPES BASS, BUT BECAUSE I BELIEVE MY LIFE WILL BE RICHER AND MY CHILDREN AND COMMUNITY WILL BE RICHER IF WE LIVE IN A WORLD THERE ARE STURGEON AND STRIPED BASS IN THE HUDSON. IF MY CHILDREN CAN SEE WHERE I SPENT 22 YEARS DEFENDING THEIR LIVELY HOODS AND PROPERTY AND ABILITY TO MAKE A LIVING. THE FISHERMEN I REPRESENT MANY HAVE BEEN FISHING THE RIVER CONTINUOUSLY SINCE THE FRENCH COLONIAL TIMES AND USE THE SAME FISHING GEAR THAT WERE TAUGHT BY THE ORIGINAL DUTCH SETTLERS IN NEW AMSTERDAM AND PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS. I WANT MY CHILDREN TO SEE THOSE PEOPLE ON THE RIVER WITH POLICY AND GILL NETS AND TOUCH THEM ON THE SHORE AND WAIT OUT THE TIDE AND CONNECT THE NETS AND DO THAT CONNECTING THEMSELVES WITH 300 YEARS OF NEW YORK STATE HISTORY AND UNDERSTAND THEY'RE PART OF SOMETHING LARGER THAN THEMSELVES, PART OF A CONTINUUM, PART OF A COMMUNITY. I DON'T WANT MY CHILDREN TO GROW UP WHERE THERE ARE NO 46 MORE COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN ON THE HUDSON BUT ONLY MEN 100 MILES OF SHORE STRIP MINING THE OCEAN WITH NO INTERFACE WITH HUMANITY. I DON'T WANT THEM TO GROW UP IN A WORLD THERE ARE NO FAMILY FARMERS IN AMERICA, ALL SMITHFIELD AND CARGILL AND TYSONS AND PREMIUM STANDARD FARMS RAISING ANIMALS IN FACTORIES, AND WAREHOUSES AND TREATING THEIR STOCK AND THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEIR WORKERS WITH UNSPEAKABLE CRUELTY, AND EMPTYING OUR RURAL LANDSCAPES OF HUMAN BEINGS, OF GETTING RID OF ALL THE FAMILY FARMERS AND DRIVING THE FINAL NAIL INTO THE COFFIN OF THOMAS JEFFERSON'S VISION OF AN AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, ROOTED IN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF INDEPENDENT FREE HOLDS OWNED BY FAMILY FARMERS, EACH WITH A STAKE IN OUR DEMOCRACY. I DON'T WANT MY KIDS -- I DON'T WANT MY KIDS TO GROW UP IN A WORLD WHERE WE'VE PAVED THE LANDSCAPE, WE'VE LOST TOUCH WITH THE SEASONS AND THE TIDES AND THE THINGS THAT CONNECT US TO THE 10,000 GENERATIONS OF HUMAN BEINGS THAT WERE HERE BEFORE THERE WERE LAPTOPS AND THAT CONNECTICUT US ULTIMATELY TO GOD, AND I DON'T BELIEVE NATURE IS GOD OR THAT WE OUGHT TO BE WORSHIPPING IT AS GOD. I DO BELIEVE IT'S THE WAY GOD COMMUNICATES TO US MOST FORCEFULLY AND GOD TALKS TO HUMAN BEINGS THROUGH MANY VECTORS, EACH OTHER, ORGANIZED RELIGION, GREAT BOOKS OF THOSE RELIGIOUS, WISE PEOPLE AND ART AND LITERATURE AND 47 MUSIC AND POETRY. BUT NOWHERE, WITH SUCH CLARITY AND FORCE AND TEXTURE AND GRACE AND JOY AS THROUGH CREATION. WE DON'T KNOW AMIC MICHAEL ANGELO BY READING HIS BIOGRAPHY, WE KNOW HIM BY LOOKING AT THE SISTINE CHAPEL. WE KNOW OUR CREATOR BEST BY LOOKING AT HIS CREATION. THE WORLD MADE BY THE CREATOR. IF YOU LOOK AT EVERY RELIGIOUS TRADITION THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF MANKIND THE CENTRAL EPIPHANY ALWAYS OCCURS IN THE WILDERNESS. BUDDHA HAD TO GO TO THE WILDERNESS TO RECOGNIZE SELF-REALIZATION. AND MUHAMMAD HAD TO GO TO THE WILDERNESS TO WRESTLE AN ANGEL THERE TO HAVE THE KORAN SQUEEZED FROM HIS BODY, MOSES HAD TO GO TO THE WILDERNESS OF MT. SINAI 40 DAYS ALONE. JEWS HAD TOO SPENT 40 YEARS WANDERING TO PURGE THEMSELVES OF SLAVERY. AND CHRIST HAD TO GO INTO THE WILDERNESS FOR 40 DAYS TO DISCOVER HIS DIVINITY. HIS MENTOR WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST, A MAN WHO LIVED IN A CAVE IN THE JORDAN VALLEY AND USED SKINS OF WILD BEASTS AND ATE HONEY AND LOCUSTS AND ALL OF CHRIST'S PARAABLE WERE TAKEN FROM NATURE, I AM THE VINE, THE LITTLE MUSTARD SEED, THE LITTLE SWALLOW, SCATTERING OF SEIZED ON THE 48 FALLOW GROUND, LILIES OF THE FIELD, CALLED HIMSELF A FISHERMAN, FARMER, VENUE SHEPHARD. THE REASON HE DID THAT, THE SAME REASON THE PROPHETS AND EVEN THE PAGAN PROPHETS, ALL USED PARABLES AND ALLEGORIES AND FABLES TO TEACH US THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG AND WHAT ANY FACE OF GOD LOOKS LIKE. THEY DID IT BECAUSE THEY WERE REVOLUTIONARIES, THE OPPOSITE OF FUNDAMENTALISTS. CHRIST'S MISSION WAS A CHALLENGE -- [ APPLAUSE ] >> AS ALL THE PROPHETS. CHRIST'S MISSION I JUST READ A BOOK ON ST. FRANCIS OUT THERE, HE WAS A CHALLENGE TO THE INSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH AND FUNDAMENTALISM. HE SAID CHRIST WAS CONSTANTLY REBUKING THE PHARISEES AND THE SAN HEDRAN, THE FUNDAMENTALISTS OF HIS TIME FOR BINDING UP BURDENS FOR OTHER MEN TO CARRY. HE TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS CONSTANTLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE STUFF WRITTEN IN THOSE BOOKS. IF YOU WANT TO BREAK THE SABBATH, GO AHEAD. THE LAWS -- MAN WAS NOT MADE FOR THE LAW, THE LAWS WERE MADE FOR A MAN. AS LONG AS THEY ENRICH YOU AND GET YOU CLOSER TO GOD, IT'S OKAY, DON'T MAKE THOSE YOUR GOD. HE SAID, YOU KNOW, FRANCIS SAID AND OTHER PLACES, YOU 49 FIND -- YOU FIND CHRIST THROUGH IMITATION OF HIS LIFE, THROUGH LOVE, LOVE OF THE POOR, LOVE OF POVERTY, LOVE OF YOUR ENEMIES AND OTHER PEOPLE AND BY IMITATING THOSE THINGS, NOT SOME MAGIC THAT OCCURS ELSEWHERE. ALL OF THE PROPHETS, ALL OF THEM WERE REVOLUTION AIRES, ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT, NEW TESTAMENT PROPHETS ALL CAME OUT OF THE WILDERNESS AND ALL WERE SHEPHERDS. THAT DAILY CONNECTION TO NATURE GAVE THEM A SPECIAL ACCESS TO THE WISDOM OF THE ALL MIGHTY. CHRIST USED THESE PARAABLES AND FABLES TO TAKE THEM TO NATURE AND THAT'S HOW HE STAYED IN TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE, SAYING THINGS THAT CONTRADICTED EVERYTHING THEY HEARD FROM THE LITERAL SOPHISTICATED PEOPLE OF THEIR TIME. THEY WOULD HAVE DISMISSED HIM AS A QUACK BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM THE WISDOM OF HIS PARAABLES THROUGH THEIR OWN OBSERVATION OF THE FISHES AND BIRDS AND SAYING HE'S NOT TELLING US SOMETHING NEW, SIMPLY PLY ILLUMINATING SOMETHING VERY, VERY OLD, MESSAGES WRITTEN INTO CREATION AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DISCERN OR DECIPHER THEM UNTIL THE PROPHETS CAME WHO HAD IMMERSED THEMSELVES IN CREATION AND LEARNED ITS LANGUAGE AND COME BACK TO THE CITIES TO TEACH US ABOUT THE WISDOM OF GOD. WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION NOW -- IN OUR OWN COUNTRY, THIS IS WHERE OUR VALUES COME FROM. 50 IN AMERICA, MORE THAN ANY OTHER CREDIT IN THE WORLD, WE ARE ROOTED IN NATURE, FROM THE BEGIN -- ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, WE ARE ROOTED IN NATURE. PHILOSOPHERS AND POLITICAL LEADERS, WE'RE TELLING AMERICAN PEOPLE YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ASHAMED BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE 1500 YEARS OF CULTURE IN EUROPE BECAUSE YOU HAVE THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LAND, PARTICULARLY THE WILDERNESS, WHICH IS WHERE GOD WILL TALK YOU. THAT'S THE SOURCE OF YOUR VALUES AND VIRTUES AND CHARACTER AND IDENTITY AND PRIDE AS A PEOPLE. FRED JACKSON TURNER WAS OUR FIRST GREAT AMERICAN HISTORIAN SAID AMERICAN DEMOCRACY CAME OUT OF THE WILDERNESS, OUT OF THE FOREST. WE WOULDN'T HAVE DEVELOPED OUR DEFINING POLITICAL INSTITUTION IS IN THE ABSENCE OF THE WILDERNESS. EVERY VALID PIECE OF CLASSICAL AMERICAN LITERATURE, THE UNIFYING THEME IS NATURE THIS IS CRITICAL DEFINING ELEMENT OF AMERICAN CULTURE, WHETHER MELVILLE OR HAWTHORNE, WASHINGTON, EVERYBODYING, MARK TWAIN, JACK LONDON. THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL BEST-SELLER WE PRODUCED IN THIS COUNTRY WAS JAMES COOPER, WHO WROTE THESE TALES, THE STOCKING TALES, LAST OF THE MOHICANS. AND ABOUT THIS CHARACTER THE VIRTUE OF THE ROMANTICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMERICAN WOODLAND, SELF-RELIANT, COURAGEOUS JARKS CRACK SHOT, HAS AN INTEGRITY AND WISDOM 51 AND GENTLENESS OF THE FOREST. THEY MADE HIM A BEST-SELLER NOT BECAUSE IT WAS GOOD WRITING, IT WASN'T, IT WAS ATROCIOUS, BUT BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THERE REALLY WAS A NEW CHARACTER BEING MELDED OUT OF THE AMERICAN WILDERNESS. WE MADE HIM A BEST-SELLER IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE WE BELIEVED THAT ABOUT OURSELVES, A GENERATION AFTER THAT, EMERSON COMES ALONG AND KICKED OFF THE AMERICAN HERITAGE AND THEY EMBRACE NATURE AS THE SPIRITUAL PARABLE OF ALL AMERICANS. IF YOU'RE AN AMERICAN AND WANT TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD, YOU HAVE TO GO IN THE FOREST AND LIS ON THE BIRDS AND LISTEN TO THE LEAVES. IF YOU WANT TO SEE INTO THE AMERICAN SOUL, LOOK INTO THE POND. OUR POETS, WHITMAN, EMILY DICKINSON. WE HAVE THE HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL, CROPSY AND THE WESTERN SCHOOL, REMINGTON AND RUSS SELLING, ALL PAINTED THE STARK INDOMITABLE LANDSCAPES, ELCAPITAN, AND WHERE ANY EVIDENCE OF HUMANITY IS ANT-LIKE IN RUINS. THERE'S OTHER NATIONAL SCHOOLS OF ART THAT PAINTED NATURE, THE FRIEND HAVE STILL LIVES AND BRITISH HAVE THEIR GARDEN SCENES AND ITALIANS. THAT'S NATURE TAMED. THE AMERICAN ARTIST CHOSE TO PAINT NATURE WILDEST AS 52 THEY SAW THAT A WAY TO CAPTURE THE NATIONAL SOUL. NOW WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION IN THE WHITE HOUSE LOOKING AT THESE WILDERNESS PLACES LAST WEEK THEY REMOVED PROTECTION OF 9 MILLION ACRES OF WILDERNESS. THEY LOOK OUT ON GREENLAND ESCAPES, THEY DON'T SEE OUR CULTURE, THEY SEE QUICK CASH FOR POLITICAL CONTRIBUTORS. I -- TO ME, I SAW A -- WHAT TIME IS IT ANYWAY? I SHOULD PROBABLY SHUT UP. OKAY. LET ME JUST SIGN OFF ON THAT. I SAW DONALD RUMSFELD ON TV, COMING DOWN HERE, I SAID -- I SAW -- I SAID, I KNOW DONALD RUMSFELD, AND HIS HOUSE IS NEXT TO MY MOM'S HOUSE IN VIRGINIA. I WAS IN JAIL ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO FOR A MY SUMMER VACATION DOWN IN PUERTO RICO. I HAD HIM OVER FOR LUNCH, WHEN I GOT BACK. HE ACTUALLY HAD BEEN THE GUY WHO PUT ME IN JAIL. AND HE WAS VERY CHARMING AND AFFABLE AND EVERYTHING, WHICH HE IS. YOU SEE HIM, HE'S SO PRESENTABLE AND SO ELOQUENT. I LOOK AT HIM AND I SAY, HERE'S A GUY THAT'S EVERYTHING AMERICA HAS TO OFFER, WENT TO OUR BEST SCHOOLS, HE WAS RAISED IN THESE WONDERFUL COMMUNITIES, ACCESS TO THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE, WENT TO OUR CHURCHES AND HAS GREAT VALUES. 53 THEN I SEE THESE E-MAILS THAT HE WROTE BACK AND FORTH WILL ALBERTO GONZALES, TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE PER MISERABLE FOR AMERICANS TO TORTURE PEOPLE. I SAY, YOU KNOW, HOW DID HE MISS THE WHOLE POINT OF AMERICA? HOW DID HE THINK THAT TORTURE IS AN AMERICAN FAMILY VALUE? [ APPLAUSE ] THIS IS AN ADMINISTRATION THAT SOLD ITSELF TO THE PRESS AND THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AS AN ADMINISTRATION OF VALUES. ALL THE VALUES THEY CLAIM TO REPRESENT ARE, TO ME, SEEM TO BE HOLLOW FAS SADS THAT MASK THE ONE THING THEY'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN, CORPORATE PROFIT TAKING. THEY SAY THEY'RE CONSERVATIVES BUT THEY'VE TORN THE CONSERVATIVE OUT OF CONSERVATISM. THEY SAY THEY LIKE FREE MARKETS BUT THEY HATE THEM. IF YOU LOOK WHERE THEIR FEET ARE GOING, ABOUT CORPORATE WELFARE AND CAPITALLISM AND CORPORATE WELFARE FOR THE RICH. LIKE CORPORATE PROPERTY VALUES BUT ONLY A POLLUTER THAT WANTS TO DESTROY HIS PROPERTY OR HIS NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY. ALL THESE IN OUR VALUE ARE THINGS THAT ARE THE VALUES THAT MAKE US WHO WE ARE AND MAKE US PROUD TO BE AMERICAN, AND THEY'RE ATTACHED TO THE LAND IN THE WAY WE USE IT AND DIGNITY THAT WE GIVE TO FUTURE GENERATIONS, TO OUR WHOLE 54 SENSE OF COMMUNITY. AND, YOU KNOW, I'LL CLOSE WITH A PROVERB FROM THE LACOTA PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN EXPROPRIATED FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT THEY SAID WE DIDN'T INHERIT IT, WE BORROWED FROM OUR ANCESTORS. IF WE DON'T RETURN TO OUR CHILDREN ROUGHLY THE EQUIVALENT OF WHAT WE RECEIVED THEY'LL HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK US DIFFICULT QUESTIONS. THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME. [ APPLAUSE ] I KNOW I WENT OVER. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO. GO AHEAD. YES. I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. MR. KENNEDY. I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON ALL YOUR VICTORIES WITH THE WATER KEEPERS AND SUCH. I HAVE ONE SUGGESTION ABOUT SITTING QUIETLY IN YOUR HOUSE AND DOING THE VIRTUAL MARCH. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT ISN'T LIKELY TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE BECAUSE OF THE PACIFYING AND ISOLATING EFFECTS OF MONITORS ON THE PEOPLE, ACCORDING TO JERRY MANDER. I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET OUT THERE AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS FACE-TO-FACE CONNECTIONS WITH 55 PEOPLE. I'VE ALSO SEEN MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL IN TENNESSEE, AND KENTUCKY, AS WELL AS VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA, AND IT'S VERY HORRIBLE. I'D LIKE TO ASK, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AIR POLLUTION AND WATER POLLUTION, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'RE STANDING IN THE WAY OF THE UNITED STATES FIRST WIND POWER PLANT OFF THE SHORE OF CAPE COD OFF IN MASSACHUSETTS. I WAS JUST WONDERING LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FIGURE THAT UP. ALSO, LIKE IN YOUR OWN WORDS -- >> LET ME JUST ANSWER THAT QUESTION. I'LL GIVE SOMEBODY ELSE A CHANCE. OKAY? THE CAPE WINDS POWER PLANT, WHICH IS THESE WIND MILLS THAT THEY'RE INTENDING TO PUT IN NANTUCKET SOUND, THE PLACE THEY SELECTED TO PUT THEM IS THE PRINCIPAL FISHING GROUND FOR 153 COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN WHO HAVE-MANY HAVE COME FROM FAMILIES FISHING NANTUCKET SOUND FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. THEY'RE AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CULTURE, SMALL FAMILY FISHERMEN, BEEN MY ALLIES ON MANY, MANY BIG ENVIRONMENTAL BATTLES, FOR EXAMPLE THE BATTLE TO KEEP THE SOUTHERN LONG LINERS OUT OF NANTUCKET SOUTH. THESE WINDMILLS WILL PUT THEM OUT OF BUSINESS. 56 ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS MOVE THE WINDMILLS ABOUT FIVE MILES AND THEY'LL HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE FISHERIES. THERE'S 5 MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR THAT USE THAT PARTICULAR PIECE OF WATER WHO ARE ALREADY VESTED IN IT. IT'S A PUBLIC TRUST ASSET USED BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, THE PRINCIPAL SOURCE OF INCOME FOR AN ENTIRE TOURIST INDUSTRY. THE PLACE THEY'VE SELECTED TO PUT IT WILL NOT ONLY WIPE OUT THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY, THERE'S PORTS WE HAVE, LIKE MENINISHA HARBOR, COMPLETELY BASED ON COMMERCIAL FISHING AND TOURISTS INDUSTRY THAT COME TO LOOK AT THESE COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN AND THESE PEOPLE WILL BE OUT OF BUSINESS. THERE'S AN EASY SOLUTION. THERE'S BETTER WIND IF THEY MOVE IT TO BUZZARD'S BAY, ABOUT NINE MILES AWAY, JUST AS CLOSE TO SHORE. WHAT I'VE SAID TO THEM, WE DON'T WANT IT -- YOU KNOW, THERE'S A GOOD PLACE FOR EVERYTHING. I SUPPORT WIND POWER, I SUPPORT IT ON THE HIGH SEAS, HELPING TO BUILD WIND POWER ALL OVER CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. BUT I WOULDN'T PUT A WIND POWER, YOU KNOW, IN YOSEMITE PARK, I WOULDN'T PUT ONE IN YELLOWSTONE, I WOULDN'T PUT ONE IN BOSTON COMMONS OR CENTRAL PARK. THERE'S CERTAIN PLACES WHERE, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY PLACE 57 IS GOOD FOR. AND THIS KIND OF KNEE JERK REACTION THAT PEOPLE HAVE, IF IT'S WIND POWER, IT HAS TO BE GOOD, TO ME, IT'S NOT -- I LOOK AT THIS PROJECT, IT'S A PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO PRIVATIZE 24 SQUARE MILES OF HEAVILY UTILIZED PUBLIC TRUST LAND, A WATERWAY USED BY 5 MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR AND IS THE CENTERPIECE FOR OUR COMMERCIAL FISHERY. IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE IN THAT PARTICULAR SPOT. [ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT HERE TONIGHT. TALKING ABOUT SOME COMPLEX ISSUES. MEDIA AND SOME OTHER ONES. I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU WHAT CRITICISMS, IF ANY, DO YOU HAVE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES/PLATFORM OF JOHN KERRY AND/OR PRESIDENT CLINTON. WELL, YOU KNOW, JOHN KERRY NEVER ACTUALLY GOT TO TAKE OFFICE, SO IT'S HARD TO CRITICIZE HIS POLICIES. YOU KNOW, HE HAD -- WHILE HE WAS IN THE SENATE, HE HAD A 96% RATING FROM THE LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS SO HIS SENATE RECORD WAS ABOUT AS GOOD AS IT GETS. I THINK HE HAD, IN FACT, THE BEST RECORD. PRESIDENT CLINTON'S POLICIES WERE REALLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH CLINTON IS THAT HE HAD THE FIRST TWO YEARS, WHEN HE HAD, YOU KNOW, SOME DEMOCRATS IN THE SENATE IN CONGRESS BUT HIS LAST SIX YEARS, HE WAS FIGHTING A REAR GUARD 58 ACTION BY THE GINGRICH CONGRESS TRYING TO DISMANTLE EVERYTHING. BASICALLY, HIS LEGACY IS JUST HAVING PROTECTED SOME OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AGAINST THE ASSAULTS OF THE GINGRICH CONGRESS, WHICH WAS -- THEY HAD THIS THING, THE CONTRACT FOR AMERICA, WHICH WAS JUST MADE -- MOST OF THE PROVISIONS WERE ABOUT DISMANTLING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS. THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION DID A FAIRLY GOOD JOB AT PROTECTING US AGAINST THAT. THEN, DURING HIS LAST DAYS IN OFFICE, HE DECLARED A LOT OF LAND, GOOD LAND WILDERNESS AREAS. I DON'T THINK IT WAS THE PRIMARY -- ONE OF HIS PRIMARY ISSUES. SINCE THEN, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, HE SAID IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE, PARTICULARLY GLOBAL WARMING. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF POLITICIANS SAY THINGS AFTER THEY GET OUT OF OFFICE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR. WHEN HE WAS IN THERE, THE ONE THING THEY REALLY TRIED TO DO, I THINK WAS GOOD, THEY TRIED TO DO THE BTU TAX, A GAS TAX, AT THE BEGINNING, IN HIS FIRST TWO YEARS, THAT WAS DRIVEN BY AL GORE. THEY GOT -- THEY GOT BEATEN ON THAT VERY SOUNDLY. I THINK THAT THAT ALSO SCARED THEM. THE LAST SIX YEARS WERE SPENT FIGHTING A REAR GUARD 59 ACTION AGAINST GINGRICH. GO AHEAD. YES. YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT CORPORATE FASCISM AND THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT BUSH'S AND HIS GRANDFATHER, GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S CONNECTIONS TO ADOLPH HITLER AND HELPING GET HITLER INTO POWER, AND NOW I'VE HEARD THAT IBM IS BEING PUT IN CHARGE OF SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE BIRD FLU. THEY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH HITLER'S HOLOCAUST. COULD YOU COMMENT ON THAT? >> I CAN'T. I REALLY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. BUT THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. YESTERDAY, WE HAD OUR FIRST ELECTION INVOLVING PAPERLESS VOTING MACHINES, WHERE YOU FILL OUT A COMPUTER SIMULATION OF A BALLOT INSTEAD OF A REAL BALLOT. HAVE YOU LEARNED ANYTHING ABOUT THIS CONTROVERSY TO HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT IT? >> I JUST FINISHED WRITING A BIG ARTICLE FOR "ROLLING STONE" ABOUT THE BALLOTS. OF COURSE, THE DEBOLD MACHINES ARE HACKABLE. I TALKED TO A GUY WHO WAS GIVEN 7 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS, A PROFESSOR FROM JOHN HOPKINS, THEIR NUMBER ONE COMPUTER GUY, GIVEN 7 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMY 60 OF SCIENCES TO LOOK AT THE SAFETY OF THESE MACHINES. HE SAID HE CAN HACK INTO ANY OF THESE MACHINES WITHIN 60 SECONDS AND OWN THE ELECTION REMOTELY. THAT MEANS HE CAN DO IT, DOESN'T HAVE TO TOUCH THE MACHINE AND OWN THE ELECTION. HE SAID THERE'S HUNDREDS OF OTHER WAYS TO HACK THEM. WE KNOW THERE THAT'S TRUE, THERE'S A REAL HERO IN THIS STATE, CALLED SANCHO. HE SPONSORED A DEMONSTRATION TWO HACKERS CAME IN AND HACKED A MACHINE WITHIN MINUTES AND CHANGED THE VOTE. I THINK THEY CHANGED 17,000 VOTES. THEY CAN CHANGE IT TO ANYTHING THEY WANT. THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THEY CAN HACK THE VOTE. THE GUY THAT OWNS THE COMPANY CAN HACK ELECTIONS, ACCORDING TO ALL THESE GUYS, CAN HACK ELECTIONS TEN YEARS FROM NOW. AND HAVE IT COMPLETELY BE UNTRACEABLE. ALL THREE OF THE COMPANIES, ESSON, SEQUOYAH, AND DEBOLD ARE OWNED BY MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE ISSUE, WHETHER DEMOCRATS OR REPUBLICANS ARE ON THE MACHINES, WE WANT HONEST ELECTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY, THESE MACHINES ARE NOT GIVING US HONEST ELECTIONS. [ APPLAUSE ] >> THERE'S NO WAY. 61 FROM THE LAST ELECTION, THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS FROM THE CONYER'S COMMITTEE, THOUSANDS OF SIGNED AFFIDAVITS AND TESTIMONY, GOING INTO VOTING BOOTHS AND PUSHING KERRY AND BUSH WAS LIGHTING UNOR PUSHING KERRY AND VOTING FOR THE MINOR CANDIDATES FOR OTHER OFFICES IN A JUDICIAL LOCAL JUDICIAL OFFICE, ET CETERA, AND THEN, WHEN THEY PRESSED THE FINAL BUTTON THAT SAYS TO PRINT, THE KERRY DISAPPEARS. IN NEW MEXICO, THERE WERE 17,000 UNDERVOTES FROM DEMOCRATIC VOTERS. IN OTHER WORDS, 17,000 DEMOCRATIC VOTERS WHO WAITED SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE HOURS IN LINE TO VOTE, AND THEN JUST VOTED FOR THE MINOR JUDICIAL CANDIDATES AND DIDN'T CAST A VOTE FOR PRESIDENT. AND PRESIDENT BUSH WON NEW MEXICO BY 5,000 VOTES. THERE WERE 17,000 PEOPLE. ALL OVER NEW MEXICO, PEOPLE WHO VOTED ON THESE MACHINES WATCHED THEIR KERRY VOTE DISAPPEAR IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES. THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. JOHN KERRY SAID RECENTLY, TOLD ME RECENTLY THAT HE LOST EVERY PRECINCT IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO THAT HAD AN ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINE REGARDLESS OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS, VOTING HISTORY. THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERED THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINE. 62 IN OHIO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT THE EXIT POLLS ARE-HAVE OVER THE PAST DECADES BECOME A SCIENCE, THEY HAVE BECOME INCREDIBLY PRECISE. FOR TWO GENERATIONS IN GERMANY, THE EXIT POLLS, GERMANY HAND COUNTS THEIR VOTES AND IT TAKES THEM A WEEK. THE VOTERS KNOW THE NIGHT OF THE ELECTION WHO WON IT. THE EXIT POLLS HAVE NEVER BEEN OFF MORE THAN ONE TENTH OF 1% IN TWO GENERATIONS, THEY'RE PRECISE. IN UKRAINE, THE ELECTION POLLS WERE OFF AND THEY THREW OUT THE ELECTION. WE URGED THEM TO DO IT AND THEY DID IT. IN GEORGIA, THE STATE OF GEORGIA, THEY WERE OFF. IN THE STATE OF THE PHILLIPINES WHEN THE EXIT POLL IS OFF, SOMETHING IS WRONG. WE HAD THE BEST EXIT POLLS IN HISTORY THIS TIME. ALL THE NETWORKS AND THE AP, SIX MAJOR NEWS ORGANIZATIONS ALL POOLED THEIR MONEY AND SPENT MILLIONS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, HIRED THE BEST EXIT POLLSTER, INVENTED THE EXIT POLL, MR. HUFFSTY AND DIDTON AND HIRED THEM TO DO THE EXIT POLLS. USUALLY A NATIONAL POLL WITH A MARGIN ERROR OF 1% HAS 2,000 PEOPLE THAT THEY POLL TO GET IT TO FIND OUT NATIONAL, A MARGIN OF 1%. THESE GUYS POLLED 200,000 PEOPLE. THEY KNEW PRECISELY WHAT THE VOTE WAS GOING TO BE. 63 AT 7:54, THEY MET WITH ALL THE NETWORKS AND SAID JOHN KERRY HAS DECISIVELY WON THIS ELECTIONS. THERE WAS NO WAY. BUSH WAS TOLD BY KAREN HUGHES HE HAD LOST THAT ELECTION THAT NIGHT. HE LOST OHIO BY 4.2%, ACCORDING TO THE POLL. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN WE WOKE UP, ALL 10 OF THE 11 BATTLEGROUND STATES HAD ALL SHIFTED FROM 6 TO 9 POINTS. THE CHANCES -- HERE'S WHAT I WAS TOLD BY STEVEN FRIEDMAN, ONE OF THE TOP SURVEY STAT ISTIONS IN THE WORLD, KERRY WENT IN 2.4% TO HIM WINNING BY 2.5%, THE CHANCES OF THAT HAPPENING STATISTICALLY ARE 1 IN 2 50 MILLION. THAT ALL OF THE -- ALL OF THE BATTLEGROUND STATES SHIFTED THAT NIGHT. THERE'S NOW THREE BOOKS ABOUT -- THAT SHOW HOW -- WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE ELECTION. I APPROACH THIS AS A SKEPTIC. I HAVE A RADIO SHOW FOR "AIR AMERICA" AND PEOPLE ARE CALLING ME ALL THE TIMESAVERRING THE ELECTIONS WERE STOLEN. I SAID, THESE PEOPLE WERE QUACKS. I DIDN'T LET THEM ON. AL FRANKEN DID THE SAME THING. WE DIDN'T LET PEOPLE ON. NOW THESE TWO BOOKS OUT ONE BY HARVEY AND ANOTHER I 64 READ AND ANOTHER BY MARK MILLER AND I READ ANOTHER REPORT AND STEVE FRIEDMAN HAS A BOOK COMING OUT CALLED "STOLEN ELECTION" AND YOU READ THESE THINGS AND IT IS HORRYIFYING. A LOT OF IT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE DEBOLD MACHINES. IT'S HARD TO COME AWAY UNCONVINCED THAT THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN. IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT IF YOU READ THESE BOOKS. I CHALLENGE ANYBODY TO READ THEM AND MAKE THE ARGUMENT. THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THEY TRIED TO STEAL THE ELECTION AND THAT ALONE IS A HUGE SCANDAL. THERE'S NO DOUBT OF THAT. THERE'S THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTATION, DID THEY SUCCEED IN DOING IT? WE'LL PROBABLY NEVER KNOW. IF YOU READ THESE BOOKS, IT'S HARD TO COME AWAY NOT CONVINCED THAT THEY DID AND THE DEBOLD MACHINE IS A HUGE PART OF THAT. THERE'S A HUNDRED DIFFERENT THINGS THEY WERE DOING. >> MY QUESTION ABOUT OFFSHORE WIND. I WAS WONDERING, THERE'S A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE COAST GUARD BUDGET IN THE HOUSE THAT WOULD PROHIBIT ANY OFFSHORE WIND FARM WITHIN 1 1/2 NAUTICAL MILES OF A SHIPPING FERRY ROUTE WHICH WOULD SEVERELY RESTRICT OFFSHORE WIND FARMS IN THE FUTURE OFF THE UNITED STATES. I WAS WONDERING WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THAT. 65 IT'S A BAD LAW. I PUBLICLY OPPOSED IT. I'VE WRITTEN A LETTER TO THE SENATE, WHICH HAS RECEIVED A LOT OF PUBLICITY, AT LEAST IN THE NORTHEAST, THE LETTER THAT I WROTE. IT WOULD KILL CAPE WINDS, WHICH THE PROJECT I OPPOSE. IT'S A BAD LAW FOR OUR COUNTRY. IT WOULD DISCOURAGE WIND POWER ON THE HIGH SEAS AND I THINK WE OUGHT TO ENCOURAGE WIND POWER ON THE HIGH SEAS. LAST QUESTION. >> MY NAME IS ANDRE CHRISTIAN I AM AN ATTORNEY WITH THREE RIVERS LEGAL SERVICES AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW CITIZENS GROUP CALLED THE FLORIDA FISHERIES AND HUNTERS ASSOCIATION. ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1st, ASH WEDNESDAY, I FILED A LAWSUIT IN STATE CIRCUIT COURT AGAINST ALL THE CEMENT KILN INDUSTRY AND ALL THEM COAL FIREPOWER PLANTS WITHIN A 75 MILE RADIUS OF NEWNAN'S LAKE. I STARTED AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT UF LAW STUDENTS COULD VOLUNTEER FOR. WE FOLLOWED A MODEL FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE TO DO A COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND WENT OUT TO THE LAKE AND FOUND THAT WHERE THE STATE SAYS YOU CAN ONLY EAT SIX OUNCES OF COOKED FISH A MONTH, PEOPLE WERE OUT THERE EATING 40, 50, 100 FISH A MONTH. 66 WE DON'T HAVE ANY MERCURY TESTING FROM IT YET BUT THE MERCURY MUST BE ASTRONOMICAL. THESE PEOPLE ARE LIVING ON THE FISH AND THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. THE CHOICE THAT THEY HAVE HERE IS WOULD YOU RATHER ME PUNCH YOU IN THE EYE OR STAB YOU TO DEATH? WHAT DOES IT MATTER IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE MERCURY IF THEY HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO EAT? SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO E-MAIL ME AT FLORIDA FHA AT HOTMAIL.COM IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE FLORIDA FISHERIES AND HUNTER'S ASSOCIATION. NOW, MY QUESTION IS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE MEDIA, AND I BECAME VERY DISILLUSIONED, THINKING HOW CAN EVERYBODY BE SUPPORTERS OF BUSH, THEN I THOUGHT, I HAVEN'T MET A SUPPORTER OF BUSH YET. ARE THERE REALLY ANYBODY OUT THERE THAT SUPPORTS HIM? AND HOW DO WE KNOW THERE'S ANYBODY THAT SUPPORTS HIM? BECAUSE WE'RE ALL DEPENDING ON THE MEDIA CONTROLLED BY BUSH. I REALLY DON'T KNOW. MY QUESTION IS HOW DID IT CHANGE WHEN CLINTON WAS IN OFFICE, HE GOT A BLOW JOB AND THE WHOLE COUNTRY WAS UP IN ARMS ABOUT THEY'RE GOING TO IMPEACH HIM. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. 67