Inside Politics

Tree-huggin’ GOP

Somebody alert Al Gore.

“Republicans are committed to making next year’s nominating convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul the ‘greenest’ in party history. From transportation to venue selection to staff workspace — convention planners are working to implement the best environmental practices,” Maria Cino notedyesterday.

She is president of the 2008 Republican National Convention, scheduled for Sept. 1-4. By then, the GOP better be green, green, green.

It could be a bilious green for some Republicans. Convention headquarters have been furnished with “recycled furnishings” — which might have been called “used” in a less-excruciating era. Recycled office supplies are a must, along with room-to-room climate control, which shuts down automatically at 5 p.m. every day to save energy. And all staffers “live within walking distance, or utilize public transportation to travel to work.”

News clips are distributed electronically to preserve paper, and employees are expected to utilize two-sided printing and recycle their paper, plus cans and bottles.

“A greener convention will use fewer resources and leave a smaller footprint, showcase Minneapolis and Saint Paul as leaders in environmental preservation and sustainable development, and underscore the Republican Party’s commitment to responsible stewardship of the environment,” Ms. Cino explained.

Staying green may be a challenge. Some 45,000 people — a few who may not recycle — are expected to attend the convention, which will take place at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Girl talk

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton seems to inspire pollsters to pick apart their numbers. Here’s the latest from Gallup on the New York Democrat, revealing her appeal to women, including 12-year-olds, apparently.

“The largest increases in support for Clinton have come among the following Democratic subgroups: rural residents (+20), women with a college degree (+15), single women (+13), younger women (+12), and those with no children under 18 (+12). Obviously, there is much overlap in membership among these groups, but clearly, a stronger appeal to certain subgroups of women within the Democratic Party has been a key to Clinton’s expanded lead.”

Overall, 52 percent of Democratic women favor Mrs. Clinton, compared with 41 percent of Democratic men, plus 55 percent of both single women and women without a college education. Low-income Democrats (56 percent) and Eastern residents (53 percent) also are marked Mrs. Clinton fans.

Her weakest showing among any Democratic subgroups is among college-educated men — just 34 percent support her candidacy.

Democrats debate

All seven Democratic presidential hopefuls descend on Drexel University in Philadelphia for yet another debate today, a mere 65 days from the Iowa caucuses, which begin Jan. 3. For those keeping count, this is debate No. 8.

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