Obama campaign: McCain misinformed

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain’s position on the preservation of the Florida Everglades was discussed by former Senator Bob Graham (D-Fla.) during an Obama for America conference call. Graham said that the Water Resource Development Act (WRDA) had not been passed since 2000 and that years without funding threatened to cause further harm to the Everglades and southern Florida.

WRDA was passed into law despite a presidential veto and a no-vote from McCain. According to Graham, McCain voted against WRDA, believing it to be an appropriations bill. He said that WRDA is in fact not an appropriations bill but that projects now qualify for appropriations after its enactment. The act intends to sustain the Everglades over the next twenty to thirty years. Funds are shared evenly by the federal government and the State of Florida. .

Graham said that Sen. McCain’s disapproval of WRDA shows that his views are out of sync with a large number of floridians, saying that environmental concerns consistently rank high among voters’ issues in the state. Graham emphasized that growth into the Everglades threatens 40 percent of floridians’ fresh water sources. According to Graham, the Everglades are currently in a state of jeopardy, causing him to question whether Sen. McCain is concerned with issues important to Florida’s voters.