August 19, 2008 05:51 PM UTC

McCain Getting Hammered Over Water Comments

•  
• by: Colorado Pols

We’ve talked in the past about Senate candidate Bob Schaffer’s ties to Referendum A, the failed water infrastructure ballot initiative that was perceived on the Western Slope in particular as a “water grab” by the Front Range. Which was a big deal, but nothing compared to the ire raised by somebody outside Colorado wanting to raid the state’s water. Has anybody written a book about all the people who died in Colorado’s history over water rights, both intra- and interstate? We’d like to read that.

As a diarist reported over the weekend, GOP presidential nominee John McCain provoked the wrath of just about every political figure in Colorado by suggesting in an interview that a key treaty governing distribution of water from the Colorado River between upstream states (that’s us) and downstream consumers (that’s Arizona and California) should be renegotiated. In doing so he was articulating the natural position for a Senator from Arizona, since they have all these people down there after all and they need water. It’s very reasonable to assume that he would have a similarly “expansive” view of water rights as President. The problem for McCain is that it’s political suicide to take that position in Colorado, and he needs Colorado to win in November.

Democrats and allied groups jumped all over McCain’s comments yesterday, press releases from the Colorado Democrats and the League of Conservation Voters both follow after the jump. And this morning, editorial boards around the state weighed in. From the Grand Junction Sentinel:

McCain and a campaign spokesman both said that in his comments about the compact, McCain was speaking primarily of continuing the conversations among state authorities that led to a new agreement last year on how to allocate water in the river during droughts.

That’s well and good. But McCain also suggested the compact may need some modification “to adjust to the realities of higher growth.”

To many ears, especially in Upper Basin states, that sounds suspiciously like he’s saying those states that have grown the most – California, Arizona and Nevada – deserve more water from the river, one of the very things the 1922 compact sought to prevent.

Sen. McCain owes it to Coloradans and all residents of the seven Colorado River Basin states to tell us exactly what he would seek to do with the compact if he is elected president.

And the Denver Post, in a particularly blistering editorial:

John McCain proved to be a uniter not a divider with his suggestion that the 1922 Colorado River com- pact be renegotiated to allocate more water to his home state of Arizona as well as Nevada and California.

McCain’s comments in an interview with Charles Ashby of the Pueblo Chieftain united practically every political figure in Colorado, regardless of party, to denounce the GOP presidential candidate’s proposal.

“Over my dead body,” snapped Colorado Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar.

“Over my cold, dead, political carcass,” echoed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer.

“On this issue, [McCain] couldn’t be more wrong,” Democratic Senate candidate Mark Udall said…

…in recent years, the Colorado’s flow is getting even sparser. Some scientists argue that global climate change is drying up the river; others argue that the basin is simply entering another of its periodic drought cycles. But all camps agree the river is producing less and the problem is likely to get worse – meaning still less water in the future for Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico.

The river’s reduced yield was what prompted former Interior Secretary Gale Norton to begin the review that led to the implementation agreement cited by Ritter. Far from allocating more water to the lower basin states, the new pact requires them – especially California – to start living within their allotments under the compact.

The new rules recognize that Arizona, Nevada and California have benefitted from extra water in the past in wet years because Colorado and its neighbors didn’t have enough reservoirs to store all their allotments. Such surpluses are unlikely to recur in the future.

McCain’s comments were thus not only political poison in Colorado, they displayed a disturbing ignorance of the realities of the West’s scarce water resources.

To say Westerners are disappointed in McCain would be an understatement. For the first time since Barry Goldwater’s and George McGovern’s 1964 and 1972 disasters, we finally get a son of the Rocky Mountain states running for president. And on the region’s most vital issue – water – McCain unthinkingly mumbles the same parochial tripe he doubtless delivered dozens of times to rave reviews at luncheons of the Phoenix Rotary Club. [Pols emphasis]

Bottom line: this was a very costly mistake for McCain. It seems the only defense being offered for this mind-boggling gaffe (he said this in Colorado? Seriously?) is that McCain didn’t actually mean what he said. But lame backpedaling won’t work this time: the water issue is a zero-sum game. His state gets more, we get less. That’s what he said he wanted. And like we pointed out originally, that’s a very natural position–accurately representing his constituency as a Senator from Arizona.

But wasn’t he going to win Arizona anyway?

For Immediate Release:

August 18, 2008

Contact: David Sandretti, 202-785-8683 or

david_sandretti@lcv.org      

      McCain All Wet On Western Water Compact

      Outrage Seen In Colorado, New Mexico and Other Upper Basin States

       DENVER, CO – League of Conservation Voters Senior Vice President and Colorado native Tony Massaro issued the following statement in reaction to Senator John McCain’s suggestion that the Western Water Compact be renegotiated to give additional water rights to Arizona and California.  Link to article: http://www.chieftain.com/artic…

       “John McCain’s outrageous position that the Western Water Compact should be renegotiated will set off a wave criticism that will come crashing down on his hopes to carry Colorado and New Mexico.  It’s one thing for a Senator from Arizona, or even California, to try to rustle water from the states of the upper basin, but for a candidate for President, it is stunningly tone deaf.

       “His position threatens to start a new water war at a time when the seven states of the compact have recently agreed to and are implementing an allocation agreement in peace and harmony.  The people of Colorado and New Mexico have every reason to be outraged.”

      #  #  #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:

Matt Farrauto

(303) 623-4762 x118 Office

(505) 235-0419 Cell

mfarrauto@coloradodems.org

August 18, 2008

WOW! MCCAIN IS REALLY WRONG FOR WEST

Republican Senator’s Words and Actions Continue to Dismay

Denver, CO – Today, Chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party Pat Waak reacted with dismay to recent reports of McCain’s many missteps, and his total disconnect with western values and Colorado families.

Incredibly, John McCain expressed his desire to renegotiate Colorado’s sacred water compact, which caused a bipartisan stir.  McCain betrayed his interest in exporting Colorado’s water to Arizona, failing to heed the advice of Mark Twain who said, “In the West whisky is for drinking; water is for fighting.”

“It’s bad enough that John McCain represents four more years of failed Bush policies,” said Waak.  “He has no plan for solving the energy crisis, he wants to dismantle the successful Social Security program, and he thinks it would be okay to spend 100 years in Iraq while terrorists reorganize in Afghanistan.  We agree to disagree on many issues.  However, Mr. McCain has lost his marbles if he thinks we’ll let him gamble away our water.”

On Saturday, when asked what defines someone as “rich” on Saturday, Senator McCain said anyone who makes more than $5 million dollars.  Under John McCain’s definition, if you’re pulling down $4 million a year, you’re part of the middle class-and you need help.

“Whether McCain was being serious or glib, his economic policies prioritize and profit corporate interests over regular Coloradans,” said Waak.  “Our country needs a new vision and dramatic change, not more of the same.”

McCain’s tax relief plan leaves out more than 100 million middle class families and gives even more to the corporations already making record profits.   Reports also say McCain is still considering Phil Gramm as a potential Treasury Secretary — the same man who said we’re only going through “a mental recession” and that Americans struggling to cope with soaring prices are “a nation of whiners.”

Waak continued, “Under a McCain administration, you’d have a president who says we’re better off today than we were eight years ago, and who thinks he’s helping the middle class when he gives tax breaks to people making almost $5 million. And you’d have Treasury Secretary who thinks we should all stop imagining that families are up against tough times.”  

Meanwhile, after nearly three decades in Washington, John McCain can’t see or won’t acknowledge what’s obvious to everyone – that lobbyists aren’t just part of the system in Washington, they’re part of the problem.

McCain, whose lobbyist-funded campaign is being run by Washington lobbyists, holds a fundraiser with one of Jack Abramoff’s closest associates, Ralph Reed, tonight.

###