Meg Whitman's response to Courage Campaign radio ad escalates war of words on global warming

 
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2009

LOS ANGELES, CA — On the same day the Courage Campaign released a radio ad called “California’s Sarah Palin,” condemning billionaire CEO Meg Whitman’s  extreme position on global warming, Whitman renewed her call to suspend California’s landmark carbon reduction law, Assembly Bill 32, in a fundraising email to supporters directly addressing the Courage Campaign’s ad.

Responding to the “California’s Sarah Palin” ad, Whitman’s campaign manager yesterday struck a Sarah Palin-like tone as she pandered to the growing right-wing movement to undermine efforts to address global warming by reiterating her argument that California is better off doing nothing right now to solve the climate crisis. The fundraising appeal from Whitman’s campaign manager was also noteworthy for the fact that Whitman to date has pledged close to $19 million to pay for her campaign to become California’s next Governor.

Rick Jacobs, Courage Campaign founder and former chair of Howard Dean’s presidential campaign in California, called Whitman’s response “risking California’s future.”

“I didn’t know that a billionaire CEO needed to raise money from her donors by promising to let California burn, pushing off action on global warming as another out-of-control fire season looms,” Jacobs said, in reference to the intensification of California’s fire season through the effect of global warming. “Meanwhile, our economy suffers as the green jobs that could solve the problem are never created. If Meg Whitman was truly interested in jobs, she would protect the farmers, ranchers, and winemakers who are threatened by global warming. She should use AB 32 to help California’s innovators in Silicon Valley and across our state to create green jobs.”

The Courage Campaign’s 60-second radio ad — called “California’s Sarah Palin” — is airing on radio stations in Los Angeles, Sacramento and the Silicon Valley on the final day of the world summit on global warming in Copenhagen. The radio ad can be heard at the following link:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/CaliforniasSarahPalin

A previous press release on the radio ad, including a full transcript, can be read here:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/press/399/courage-campaign-airs-new-radio-ad-calling-out-meg-whitman-as-california-s-sarah-palin-for-stance-on-global-warming