Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and Leonardo DiCaprio teamed up yesterday at the Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St., to speak to students about the upcoming election.
\I'm here today to deliver a simple message, not as an actor, not as a scientist, not as a politician, but as a concerned citizen and environmentalist,"" DiCaprio said.
The pair supported Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's proposal for the environment, hoping it will become a key election issue.
""John Kerry has a detailed plan he has been pursuing in the United States Senate and he will offer it up as president,"" Blumenauer said. ""We have the worst environmental president in our history. The good news is that we have a candidate for president in John Kerry who has assembled the strongest environmental record of any candidate in history.""
Both speakers avidly supported Kerry and were very clear about their positions on the Bush administration.
""Bush administration politics are taking us back to a time that we'd all like to leave behind, where corporate polluters reign over public interests,"" DiCaprio said. ""They have retreated from a campaign pledge to reduce carbon dioxide emission, rolled back 30 years of progress under the Clean Air and Water Act and allowed polluters to put toxic levels of mercury in our air and water-all this from a president that in the last debate claimed to be an environmentalist.""
""This administration has turned science on its head, using their politics to try and shape science rather than [using] science to form and direct what our policies should be,"" Blumenauer said.
DiCaprio and Blumenauer held consistent views on the environment and the role it should play in the next administration.
""We need a president who believes in science, [one] who cares about a planet that your children will inherit,"" DiCaprio said.
Students who attended were impressed with their arguments and purposes.
""I was really surprised about all the things Bush rolled back on, I just never realized all the things he was leaving behind,"" said UW-Madison freshman Amy Handler.
Blumenauer and DiCaprio's environmental standpoints made a clear impact on students, but more important was their firm message to vote.
""The plain truth is there is a stark difference between the two candidates and the way they choose to handle our fragile environment . ... This election offers a real choice and not just on environmental issues, but a multitude of others,"" DiCaprio said. ""Cast your ballot; do not sit this one out; do not remain silent; do not keep your opinions to yourself.\
