The Sierra Club plans to spend about $250,000 over the next three weeks to air a TV ad that criticizes Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s environmental record. The ad, which will run in states that are key to the presidential election, features a pair of Texans complaining that their state is polluted and that Bush has done little to fix the problem. It is part of an $8 million effort by the Sierra Club to give a boost to eco-friendly candidates. Likewise, the League of Conservation Voters is planning to spend $14 million to influence congressional campaigns this year and raise the profile of green issues. LCV’s ad blitz will focus on California, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, and Washington, states that are closely contested in the presidential race and have highly competitive House and Senate races. Still, the amount of money enviros are spending this campaign season is dwarfed by the money being spent by other interest groups and industry associations.
