Dear Friends,
We wanted to let you know how the Obama campaign treats people concerned about his position on GNEP and nuclear issues…
At the big Obama-Oprah rally here in Columbia, South Carolina on Sunday, a few of us decided to hold up signs at the entrance to the venue (university football stadium) against Obama’s support of research into GNEP. You may have noticed at the Democratic debate two weeks ago in Las Vegas that he said he supported nuclear power and that Argonne lab in Illinois was conducting promising research on how to manage nuclear waste (uh, GNEP that is). If GNEP goes forward, South Carolina (Savannah River Site & the old Barnwell reprocessing plant) is perhaps the main site being considered to receive the nation’s spent nuclear fuel.
When we arrived at the stadium entrance with a few posterboard signs the Obama people were all over us, trying to kick us off the property. They said we could go to the “free speech” area that was several blocks away. Hm…sure sounds like a tactic of a certain president who could care less about free speech. We didn’t leave and they got the police to come, who forced us off the property and to the sidewalk across the street (where people entering the stadium could still see us). The stadium, they said, was rented by the Obama campaign and it was not a public area any more. Hunh?! One of us returned to the stadium property with a sign and a police officer pursued her and shoved her in the back, making sure to be out of camera range.
So, we wanted to let you know about these tactics of the Obama campaign to stifle free speech. Is the campaign really about the change it claims? The reaction was shocking and unanticipated by us. If anyone has heard of his campaign applying this tactic at others sites please let us know. And, if anyone has heard him say more about GNEP and reprocessing please pass it on. And, how much money is he taking from the nuclear industry (while claiming to take no money from special interests)?? And Oprah, is she also pro-GNEP and anti-free speech? Say it ain’t so!
Regards,
Tom Clements
Leslie Minerd
Elaine Cooper
(now headed to the Obama offcie to talk about this.,..if you don’t hear from us again send a search team…)
OBAMA CAMPAIGN RESPONSE TO ANTI NUKE CRITICISM :”He has consistently said that the solution will be based on sound science and will be developed in a politically open process that develops national consensus and doesn’t force any one state to accept nuclear materials it doesn’t want.” ” and we should select permanent solutions through a process that develops national consensus.”
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Let me translate that for ya’ll. “Sound science” means research, which he supports at DOE’s Argonne Labs. That research is all about Global Nuclear Energy Partnership and Reprocessing. “National consensus” means the chump state that considers handling the nation’s, and even the world’s, nuke spent fuel as a jobs program will be gladly dumped on by the 49 others. Hmmmm… Nevada has Harry Reid, we have little Lindsey who did us the favor of legally changing the definition of nuclear waste. If it comes to a “national consensus”, with the politicians SC has, we’re screwed. “Permanent solutions” means Yucca? Well, Obama has CLEARLY stated that he doesn’t support Yucca. What are the other permanent solution choices? Send it all on a rocket to the sun?? We’ve asked for a clear statement on reprocessing and GNEP and I think this is the best we’re going to get.
As Jeannine pointed out, Obamam (and Hillary too, I believe) takes $$ from Exelon, one of the nations largest nuclear power plant operators. Figuring out how much money isn’t easy. During his tenure as senator, Frank Clark, the chairman or Exelon’s Commonwealth Edison utility noted that “Senator Obama has all the necessary leadership skills required to be president,” If Frank Clark is cheering for Obama, I as a long time anti-nuker, am going to support a different team.
As I already pointed out, the “Clean Coal” people, who were handing out literature, got to stay at the rally. There were people with “global warming” signs at the Obama/Oprah rally in NH. The only people shoved off of the rally grounds were 3 people with cardboard signs asking a questions about Obama’s stance on reprocessing. They told us to go to the “free speech zone”, 3 blocks away, near the Budweiser sign. Turns out there isn’t even a sidewalk by the Budweiser sign. So what they were really telling us was to go play in the street.
Is it just me, or do you get the impression that they don’t want to talk about reprocessing or GNEP with us?
Leslie