Humane Society Breaks Tradition, Endorses Obama

The Humane Society Legislative Fund (the Fund) endorses candidates strictly based on their views on issues relating to animals. The group steers clear of differntiating candidates on political party lines. This has led to the endorsement of hundreds of congressional candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties. Never before, however, have they ever endorsed a candidate in the presidential election. This year they felt it was necessary.

Yesterday, the Fund's Board of Directors, which is made up of Democrats and Republicans, voted unanimously to endorse Senator Barack Obama. 

In their endorsement, the Fund's Board explained their reasons for endorsing Obama..."Senator Barack Obama has been a solid supporter of animal protection at both the state and federal levels. As an Illinois state senator, he backed at least a dozen animal protection laws, including those to strengthen the penalties for animal cruelty, to help animal shelters, to promote spaying and neutering, and to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption.  In the U.S. Senate, he has consistently co-sponsored multiple bills to combat animal fighting and horse slaughter, and has supported efforts to increase funding for adequate enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and federal laws to combat animal fighting and puppy mills."

The Fund listed some of the animal protection bills that Senator John McCain has also co-sponsored but said that he has been largely absent on many important animal issues in the Senate. Far and away, the biggest reason the Fund failed to endorse Senator McCain was his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin for his running mate, whom they say has done more harm to animals than any other current governor in the United States. 

The Fund explained their discomfort with Palin this way, "Palin engineered a campaign of shooting predators from airplanes and helicopters, in order to artificially boost the populations of moose and caribou for trophy hunters. She offered a $150 bounty for the left foreleg of each dead wolf as an economic incentive for pilots and aerial gunners to kill more of the animals, even though Alaska voters had twice approved a ban on the practice. This year, the issue was up again for a vote of the people, and Palin led the fight against it—in fact, she helped to spend $400,000 of public funds to defeat the initiative."

To read the Humane Society Legislative Fund's full endorsement statement, click HERE. 

 Here is a video from the Defenders of Wildlife explaining Gov. Palin's support for aerial hunting...