Former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R-Louisville) today targeted her placement on the League of Conservation Voter's "Dirty Dozen" list as a political maneuver to benefit her opponent, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville).

"They've listed me as the twelfth of the 'dirty dozen,'" said Northup according to a statement provided by her campaign. "The one thing that all twelve had in common - it's not their voting record, lots of people have that voting record.  What those twelve all have in common is that they're in tough elections.  And so they came in here because they wanted to support John's re-election." 

Northup held a press conference in Louisville shortly after an LCV representative and Yarmuth took part in an event of their own. 

The LCV's "Dirty Dozen" list is said to be a list of candidates who "consistently vote against the environment," and it presently contains 11 Republicans - including U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) - and one Democrat. The group notes it adds candidates to the list in races it thinks it has "a serious chance to affect the outcome" of by getting involved.

Much of the list is comprised of candidates shown in tough races to hold their seats or in fights to unseat incumbents.

Northup's campaign provided a list of appropriations it said the Republican challenger secured during her tenure in Congress, which ended in 2006 after Yarmuth won Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District in an upset.

The list includes 44 appropriations dating from 1998 to 2006, with amounts ranging from $3.6 million for flood control programs at Pond Creek watershed to $100,000 for a feasibility study on "ecosystem restoration" in Louisville. 

"Millions of dollars came into this district that we were able to get for the environment. Unfortunately, since John was elected, there haven't been any of those dollars," Northup charged. "No new initiatives with the Army Corp of Engineers, no more ecosystem restoration dollars."

Northup, who previously served on the House appropriations committee, said she could benefit environmental projects by carrying over her seniority on that committee, if re-elected.

"If you really care about the environment in this community, and the systems of creeks and ponds, and ecosystem restoration, I would be the candidate to do the most," said Northup in the statements provided by her campaign. "I was
there, I did it, and I'll go back on appropriations, I'll retain my seniority.  We'll pick up where we left off."  

The Republican candidate also criticized the LCV for not supporting certain energy policy.

"The League of Conservation Voters doesn't approve of any use of coal.  They also don't support nuclear energy and they completely oppose drilling where our most plentiful supplies of oil are," said Northup.

"In fact, there's no place where they would support more drilling," she added, touching on the energy policy she has highlighted most frequently in her campaign - including in recent television spots.