By Scott Shewfelt

Special to The Sentinel

The League of Conservation Voters officially announced their endorsement of Democratic candidate Donna Edwards and both parties had some tough words for incumbent Rep. Albert Wynn (D-4th Dist.) and his environmental record at a July 18 news conference.

A small group of family, staff and press gathered at a Silver Spring, Md. hotel as the league endorsed Edwards in her effort to supplant Wynn in the Democratic primary.

"Donna Edwards will be a champion in the U.S. Congress on the issues and causes we believe in," said Gene Karpinski, the president of the league.

During the news conference, Karpinski announced that he has known Edwards for over 20 years and that of all the organization's endorsements there are none that he is more proud of.

"The president Gene Karpinski and her [Edwards] are personal friends. This is just an example of political cronyism," Wynn said.

Both Karpinski and Edwards focused heavily on Wynn's vote on the 2005 Energy Bill, which he helped get passed.

"My opponent has chosen the energy companies over the constituents of the fourth," Edwards said.

"That's ridiculous," said an angered Wynn in response to Edwards comment about the bill in question.

Wynn acknowledged that the Energy Bill is not perfect, but that he voted for it specifically because of what it has given the people of his district. He also added that three of the six Maryland Democratic members of Congress, including House minority whip Steny Hoyer, voted in favor of the same bill.

Wynn went on to defend his energy position and voting record by citing, among other things, his commitment to alternative fuel sources, in particular hydrogen fuel cell development, his support of price-gouging amendments and his sponsorship of mandatory federal electricity reliability standards. Karpinski acknowledged that in the past, Wynn has received commendable grades from the league but recently there has been a sharp decline. He also cautioned that the bulk of the grading information provided on Wynn's Web site is from the 106th Congress, which was five years ago.

Edwards also took issue with Wynn's vote to help get legislation passed that both she and Karpinski said weakened the Endangered Species Act. In response to allegations that he weakened the ESA, Wynn said that he does not see how supporting a provision that a landowner must be compensated when his property is restricted by the act could possibly equate to the weakening of said act.

Wynn said that he is more than ready to defend his environmental record and hopes that Edwards has done her homework by the time the scheduled debates roll around.

The League of Conservation Voters is a non-partisan political organization devoted to shaping a pro-environment Congress and White House. Since 1996, 80 percent of the candidates that they have endorsed have been victorious.