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Greenwashing is the unjustified appropriation of environmental virtue by a company, an industry, a government, a politician or even a non-government organization to create a pro-environmental image, sell a product or a policy, or to try and rehabilitate their standing with the public and decision makers after being embroiled in controversy.

John McCain’s campaign is going GREEN … and even trying to raise some funds via this greening. As a reach out to Birkenstock wearing eco-terrorists, it seems, the McCain campaign website now had eco-friendly items” for sale.  You too can have your “Bamboo Pique” “Go Green McCain Embroidered Polo Shirt with New Recycle Logo” in stone color, for just $50.  A ladies bamboo T-Shirt will run your $25.  An “unstructured organic cotton canvas” “Go Green McCain Visor” will run you $15. Time to raid your piggy-banks, you eco-terrorists, to help fund the “eco-friendly” McCain campaign.

$15 too much?  Well, there is always the $8 note book with that new recycle logo. “The lined sheets and notebook covers are colored with organic based inks.”

There are some things that fall beyond satire.

Who do they think they’re kidding?  Rebranding McCain as Mr. Enviroment?  Rebranding the Republican Party as the Eco-Friendly choice?  The McCain campaign must have a real disdain for the intellect of the American voting public.

While some things might seem beyond satire, that doesn’t mean that some don’t try.  For example, Tim Hurst has this perspective

I was also happy to learn that the items are described as “biodegradable and antibacterial.” That’s important, because when my current clothes get soiled or overcome with bacteria, I usually just throw them away, in stead of going through all the hassle of actually laundering them. I feel rest-assured knowing that any of my John McCain earth friendly clothing would simply decompose in the landfill when I throw them away – as opposed to the garments in my current wardrobe, which would undoubtedly sit around for millions of years before decomposing.

Yes, aren’t we glad that our baby’s onesie will decompose (hopefully not with the baby in it).

But, to the substance …

While John McCain at least has a foot in reality, as he recognizes that Global Warming is real (unlike the majority of the Republican Party, which continues to reject reality), his “solutions” remained half-baked, half-measures.   As for “eco-friendly,” by one standard Senator John McCain literally has the worst Congressional Record on environmental issues (that is right, 535 out of 535) according to the League of Conservation Voters.  Okay, that is a skewed representation since candidate John McCain was AWOL from his Senate responsibilities so much that his “zero” rating derived in no small part from skipping his day job.  

Here is as about a friendly a view of McCain’s environmental record as you’ll find and still remain within the realm of honesty. Better than many Republicans, but is that really saying much.  After all, from that friendly space,  “most Republicans pay lip service to the environment. … To label McCain as an environmentalist would be misleading …” 

As Rachel Maddow has put it, calling John McCain an environmentalist as part of the campaign strategy is to “run on someone else’s record“. 

The more appropriate description might be ‘potentially not as disastrous as most in the Republican Party as part of McCain’s recycling of George Bush.’