Support for California's Proposition 87 is a decidedly Democratic affair. California Senator Barbara Boxer wrote a newspaper editorial asking voters for support. Al Gore has filmed a TV commercial in favor of the measure and yesterday former President Bill Clinton was at a rally of 5,000 people supporting Prop. 87. The proposition calls for taxing oil drilled in the state in order to fund alternative energy research. The cost of the tax cannot be passed on to consumers and once $4 billion has been raised, the tax goes away (read everything you could ever want to know about the bill in this PDF).

Clinton said at the rally that, "California is being given an opportunity and an obligation to do something remarkable to save the planet, improve our national security and create the next generation of good jobs for the American people. That's what Prop. 87 represents to me."

While support from big-name Democrats is a good idea in solid-blue California, Prop. 87 shouldn't be a partisan issue. Cleaner air is cleaner air. Nonetheless, oil companies are mounting a advertising campaign against Prop. 87. Clinton said he thought the anti-Prop.87 ads are a "ruse".

"I know the oil companies have trotted out economists in their ads," he said. "But let me ask you something: if they really thought you were going to pay for this, would they really be spending all this money trying to convince you to vote against it?"

Related:

• Boxer asks Californians to vote yes on Prop 87

[Source: Yes On 87]