Will Kerry Take Nevada On Yucca Dump Anger?

[DrFunkenstein]

LAS VEGAS - President Bush, who favors storing nuclear waste in Nevada, accused Democratic rival John Kerry on Thursday of using the issue as "a political poker chip" to woo the state's voters.

Addressing a volatile issue that has forced him into a tight race in Nevada, Bush said Kerry has voted for the Yucca Mountain repository and then campaigned against it. In fact, the four-term Massachusetts senator consistently voted against creation of the site when addressing the specific issue.

Some 16 years ago, Kerry voted for an overall budget bill that included a provision favoring putting the nuclear waste in Nevada.

During a visit to Las Vegas earlier in the week, Kerry tapped into voter anger over Bush's designation of Yucca Mountain. Kerry said Bush broke the promise he made as a candidate in 2000 to ensure science and not politics determined his decision whether to ship waste to Yucca Mountain. Bush approved the site after winning the presidency, even though many scientific studies remained unfinished.

A Nevada political analyst, David Damore, said "it doesn't surprise me" that Bush's remarks were so brief, since the issue "is just not a winner for him." Damore pointed to the difficulty the issue has caused for the president, who was appearing before a relatively small crowd at a union job training facility. Damore noted that Kerry in his appearances this week in Nevada played to large crowds.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=6&u=/ap/bush



That's even before you factor in the large growth of Democratic-leaning Hispanics to the state.

I guess this red state doesn't look quite so red these days...

[DaveinMD]

1. Kerry will win Nevada

will win the state on this issue. He had one bad vote 16 years ago, but in recent history has been a consistent opponent of the dumping.

[calico1]

2. Sure hope you're right.

[coloradodem2005]

3. Bush wouldn't know anything about political poker chips.

It is not like he used the 9/11 issue over and over again to quell dissent. Shame on Kerry for using the Yucca Mountain incident against Bush just so he can take Nevada. <sarcasm/off>

[bigtree]

4. Kerry:Committed to Ensuring Nevada Doesn't Become Nuclear Waste Repositoy

Kerry-Edwards: Committed to Ensuring Nevada Does Not Become A Nuclear Waste Repository

8/10/2004 9:15:00 AM


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: National Desk, Political Reporter

Contact: Allison Dobson of Kerry-Edwards 2004, 202-464-2800, Web: http://www.johnkerry.com

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Kerry-Edwards 2004 released the following fact sheet on nuclear waste today:

"Rest assured, Nevada, if I'm the president of the United States, Yucca Mountain will not be a repository," -- John Kerry, May, 17, 2004

Storing nuclear waste safely is of vital interest to the nation. Spent reactor fuel created as a by-product of the nuclear power process in reactors, can remain highly radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years, endangering the public if not properly disposed.

In his 2000 campaign, George Bush said he would not send nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain unless it was deemed scientifically safe. Yet his administration ignored sound science and adopted an irresponsible policy that rushed to pursue arbitrary deadlines to build a waste repository at Yucca. Those deadlines are based on the Bush administration's highest priority: moving waste to Nevada as soon as possible, regardless of what scientists know -- and do not know -- about the safety of Yucca Mountain.

John Kerry has a long record of opposing delivering waste in Yucca mountain. A Kerry-Edwards administration will make the hallmark of the nation's nuclear waste program an unwavering commitment to scientific integrity and to the protection of public health and the environment. George Bush broke his promise to the people of Nevada

More: http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=108-08102004

[oly]

5. I live among the retired folks in the Summerlim/Sun City areas.

These folks are Repugs for the most part. They vote. They respond to fear -- of terrorists certainly. Bush is giving them FUD as best he can. They are religious. They go to church every Sunday too do the Lord's work. They think the war on terror or Iraq is all the same and all good. Bush is a good religious man and he is protecting them. Yucca is secondary. Most think Yucca is a problem in that an accident could happen in the transporting of waste to Yucca. Environmentalists, they are not. The Repug party position is just that -- accidents could happen in delivery, but that position seems too be fluid. I understand that the Repug Clark county party is backing away from even this position in trade for money too set up some sort of federal terror/security training center in LV. I'm hoping that the many folks moving here too work in casinos and construction will turn out and vote for Kerry. Local Dems are working this issue with voter registration drives, etc. I think Kerry can pull it off, but with code-red fear mongering from now until the election, it's going too be difficult. I think it will be Bush by a hair. I hope, I'm wrong.

[ieoeja]

6. Aren't they afraid of terrorists?

Wouldn't Yucca Mountain as a nuclear depository make it and the transport vehicles terrorist targets?

[lanparty]

7. It's a VERY difficult issue ...

Obviously, we have to do SOMETHING with all that nuclear waste. But lets not forget that a lot of that waste is just used radiation suits. Not all of it is fit for making dirty bombs.

As far as transport goes, I would make it a point to make regular shipments irregardless of whether there is actual cargo. It might sound odd to waste money shipping empty containers across a country. But it would make nuclear waste shipments a lower priority target since there would be no way of knowing whether a shipment is a "dummy" or a "real" shipment.

BTW, Halliburton is doing the same thing in Iraq. It's just in the name of profit instead of security ;-)

[Massacure]

19. Yucca mountain is supposed to be spent fuel

as well as high-level radioactive waste.

There isn't going to be any low radioactive waste such as radition suits at Yucca.

[oly]

9. Yes, Mayor Oscar brings up the threat to the shipments all the

time. Repug polititions bring up accidents in shipping most often. The old folks do realize that the shipments are potential targets, but Bush is their guy protecting them on this or any other terrorist threat.

Another thing that I didn't bring up. These folks pray to a God of revenge. After all, the Muslims started the war and we are just getting even in Iraq.

[Dob Bole]

8. I think that Kerry in the Southwest depends on Kerry in the Southeast

I think that if Kerry wins early swing states in the Southeast, like Florida, Tennessee, or Virginia- then he will also win states like Nevada and Arizona because Bush voters will be discouraged.

Of course, I'm biased toward still believing that the South is the holy grail of Democratic politics, so who cares what I say?

[shimmergal]

18. Actually, we have early voting in Nevada.

In recent elections almost half the electorate voted in the two weeks or so before the actual election day. It's a good system in a lot of ways, but it tends to make that bandwagon (or anti-bandwagon) effect that you're talking about less pronounced.

[Yavin4]

10. If You Live in Nevada and You Vote for Bush...

You are voting to have massive piles of nuclear waste dumped into your back yard. Even Homer Simpson isn't that damn stupid.

[oly]

11. Oh Hell yes they are.

Another problem is that the Repugs and Dems have had a stupid love-in on this issue for years. All pols at all levels get together in press conferences and such to collectively fight the evil Feds wanting to put waste in the back yard. Just plain stupid cover for Repugs over the years. Folks just don't realize that big energy has the Repug party in their pocket. Some cracks in the Repug facade are starting to show as some Repugs start to jump ship. But, I really don't see Bush being blamed -- secondary issue. Again, I hope I'm wrong.

[marlakay]

12. The people in Nevada do care!

I was there last week with the Sierra club talking about Yucca Mountain and only one man said it was okay with him and he was solid repub. The rest all wanted to talk about it.

[Bombtrack]

13. It's a tossup. One of 8 such tossups in my opinion. Anyone know if Oscar

Goodman will campaign for Kerry? ANd if so how hard?

[DaveinMD]

14. Goodman

is already campaigning for him.

[noamnety]

15. NPR is on the ball

On public radio here in Michigan they played the Bush quote, and immediately followed it with the explanation that Kerry had voted in the past for a nuclear waste repository (not sure of the wording there) but in a generic way, nothing specific to Yucca at all.

[Awsi Dooger]

16. Unfortunately, Yucca runs second to fear of terrorism

I live in Las Vegas and the fear of a local terrorism strike has been a persistent theme since 9/11. The 9/11 hijackers met in Las Vegas, including Atta. Virtually every casino worker I know dreads a terrorist attack much more than Yucca. I'm out of town on vacation now, but I'm sure those clips of the MGM, Excalibur and NY/NY merely fueled the fear to previously unmatched levels.

We are underdogs in Nevada.

[shimmergal]

17. The Yucca Mtn. issue alone won't deliver Nevada, but

perhaps demographics will.

I live in Las Vegas, and know maybe too many of those retired Summerlin/Sun City types. They'll probably vote Republican reflexively, but Yccca Mtn. isn't at the top of their priority list either way. We may have more to fear from the way the Yucca project is being touted as a long-lasting job bonanza for hard-hat workers.

Counter-measures that might undermine these things? Well, if our present real-estate boom goes bust, esp. if there's some evidence people have stopped wanting to buy here because of nuclear waste danger, the retirees' attitude would turn around pretty fast. The "jobs bonanza" is a harder nut to crack, but surely the fact that virtually all home construction is being done by immigrants (the majority undocumented workers) has some impact.

Yes, Strip workers (and the rest of us) worry about a terrorist attack, but most worry more about another Bush term. My daughter's a cocktail waitress in a casino, and she hardly knows any co-workers who support * or the national-level Republicans. (The managers may be another matter.)

Last note--this may be just urban legend, but-- It was told to my S-I-L by an older man he was talking to at a VA medical facility. This guy says that, while supposedly they're not shipping in any nuclear waste to Yucca yet, actually they are. It comes in at night by plane so nobody'll know about it, since the shipments are illegal at this point. Take it for what it's worth; I can't vouch that it's true, but who knows. . .?