Two prominent environmental groups announced their official picks in the race to the White House in 2008. Friends of the Earth Action, the politically overt arm of Friends of the Earth, put its weight behind Democrat John Edwards, praising his early support for strict climate legislation, and for being the only top-tier Dem to just say no to expanding nuclear power in the U.S. “We trust John Edwards to work for a healthy environment and fight for the rights of regular people in our country and around the world,” said FoEA prez Brent Blackwelder. Also this weekend, Republican presidential candidate John McCain landed an endorsement from Republicans for Environmental Protection for his climate policies. “More than any other Republican candidate, Senator McCain knows that the fight against climate change is a conservative cause,” said a group spokesperson.