McCain Touts Energy Policies By Borys Krawczeniuk, Scranton Times-Tribune July 24, 2008
WILKES-BARRE Arizona Sen. John McCain focused heavily on the high price of gasoline Wednesday in his first visit to Northeastern Pennsylvania as a presidential candidate, saying ending the national dependence on foreign oil would also help make it safer from terrorists.
This is an economic issue; it's an environmental issue, and it's a national security issue, Mr. McCain said at a town-hall meeting at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts. We are sending some $700 billion of American money to pay for this gasoline to countries that don't like us very much. And some of that money ends up in the hands of terrorist organizations. That's just a fact. ... We cannot continue it.
About 800 people showed up for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee at first appearance in a region whose plethora of conservative Democrats could be key to his chances of winning Pennsylvania.
With its balcony empty, the Kirby was less than half-filled, and dozens of seats remained empty on the first floor.
Mr. McCain didn't shy away from touting proposals sure to draw fire: nuclear energy and clean-coal technology.
While he favors wind and solar power as alternative energy sources, Mr. McCain said building 45 new nuclear power plants could create 700,000 new jobs. He promised to invest $2 billion a year in clean-coal technology ” the conversion of coal into diesel gasoline or other fuels ” because the nation has the largest untapped coal reserve in the world. A clean-coal plant is proposed in Schuylkill County.
Environmentalists criticize both technologies as potentially harmful, but Mr. McCain said the nations military has been powering its submarines with nuclear fuel for 60 years without an accident.
Eighty percent of French electricity is generated by nuclear power. We always want to imitate the French, he joked, alluding to some Americans distaste for France opposition to the war in Iraq.
Mr. McCain said he also favors federal investment in automobiles that can use different types of fuel, a $5,000 tax credit for people who buy hydrogen-powered cars. He also advocates offshore drilling for oil.
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, opposes offshore drilling and large-scale expansion of nuclear energy.
Mr. McCain restated his support for a six-month suspension of the 18-cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax, saying it would give low-income residents, struggling truckers and others need a little break as the nation works on solving its energy crisis.
I don't have to tell anybody here that every time you go to the gas station, you are shocked the cost of a gallon of oil, he said.
One audience member, Frank Jescavage, a self-described lifelong Democrat, said the gas-tax suspension would produce little savings for drivers, but Mr. McCain didn't waver. He said criticism of it centered on making sure money was available for congressional pork-barrel transportation projects.
Critics, including Mr. Obama, argue it would eliminate money for repairs and construction of highways and other essential transportation projects.
Problems with pork
Mr. McCain unflinchingly criticized “pork-barrel projects, a derisive term for special earmarks of tax dollars by congressmen for projects in their districts.
The region is flush with examples of projects funded by congressional earmarks, including Steamtown National Historic Site and the Interstate 81 Davis Street interchange in Scranton.
Mr. McCain, who said he has never sought an earmark in 26 years in Congress, believes they breed corruption as congressmen trade political contributions for the insertion of earmarks into spending bills. The failure to curb them has contributed to unrestrained federal spending that has â mortgaged our children's future by pushing up the federal debt. He favors giving presidents veto power over specific budget requests.
I will veto every pork-barrel spending bill that comes across my desk, he vowed.
In an interview afterward, Mr. McCain said he favors a competitive process for determining funding of pet projects so only the most worthy receive funding.
Iraq strategy
His sharpest criticism of Mr. Obama centered on the war in Iraq.
Without naming President Bush, he said the early war effort suffered from a every flawed strategy and his opposition to it brought charges of disloyalty from Republicans.
But a 30,000-troop surge, which he supported and Mr. Obama opposed, and Gen. David Petraeus tactic of setting up outposts in Iraqi neighborhoods to battle insurgents reduced violence, he said.
Please click here to read the entire article.
WILKES-BARRE Arizona Sen. John McCain focused heavily on the high price of gasoline Wednesday in his first visit to Northeastern Pennsylvania as a presidential candidate, saying ending the national dependence on foreign oil would also help make it safer from terrorists.
This is an economic issue; it's an environmental issue, and it's a national security issue, Mr. McCain said at a town-hall meeting at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts. We are sending some $700 billion of American money to pay for this gasoline to countries that don't like us very much. And some of that money ends up in the hands of terrorist organizations. That's just a fact. ... We cannot continue it.
About 800 people showed up for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee at first appearance in a region whose plethora of conservative Democrats could be key to his chances of winning Pennsylvania.
With its balcony empty, the Kirby was less than half-filled, and dozens of seats remained empty on the first floor.
Mr. McCain didn't shy away from touting proposals sure to draw fire: nuclear energy and clean-coal technology.
While he favors wind and solar power as alternative energy sources, Mr. McCain said building 45 new nuclear power plants could create 700,000 new jobs. He promised to invest $2 billion a year in clean-coal technology ” the conversion of coal into diesel gasoline or other fuels ” because the nation has the largest untapped coal reserve in the world. A clean-coal plant is proposed in Schuylkill County.
Environmentalists criticize both technologies as potentially harmful, but Mr. McCain said the nations military has been powering its submarines with nuclear fuel for 60 years without an accident.
Eighty percent of French electricity is generated by nuclear power. We always want to imitate the French, he joked, alluding to some Americans distaste for France opposition to the war in Iraq.
Mr. McCain said he also favors federal investment in automobiles that can use different types of fuel, a $5,000 tax credit for people who buy hydrogen-powered cars. He also advocates offshore drilling for oil.
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, opposes offshore drilling and large-scale expansion of nuclear energy.
Mr. McCain restated his support for a six-month suspension of the 18-cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax, saying it would give low-income residents, struggling truckers and others need a little break as the nation works on solving its energy crisis.
I don't have to tell anybody here that every time you go to the gas station, you are shocked the cost of a gallon of oil, he said.
One audience member, Frank Jescavage, a self-described lifelong Democrat, said the gas-tax suspension would produce little savings for drivers, but Mr. McCain didn't waver. He said criticism of it centered on making sure money was available for congressional pork-barrel transportation projects.
Critics, including Mr. Obama, argue it would eliminate money for repairs and construction of highways and other essential transportation projects.
Problems with pork
Mr. McCain unflinchingly criticized “pork-barrel projects, a derisive term for special earmarks of tax dollars by congressmen for projects in their districts.
The region is flush with examples of projects funded by congressional earmarks, including Steamtown National Historic Site and the Interstate 81 Davis Street interchange in Scranton.
Mr. McCain, who said he has never sought an earmark in 26 years in Congress, believes they breed corruption as congressmen trade political contributions for the insertion of earmarks into spending bills. The failure to curb them has contributed to unrestrained federal spending that has â mortgaged our children's future by pushing up the federal debt. He favors giving presidents veto power over specific budget requests.
I will veto every pork-barrel spending bill that comes across my desk, he vowed.
In an interview afterward, Mr. McCain said he favors a competitive process for determining funding of pet projects so only the most worthy receive funding.
Iraq strategy
His sharpest criticism of Mr. Obama centered on the war in Iraq.
Without naming President Bush, he said the early war effort suffered from a every flawed strategy and his opposition to it brought charges of disloyalty from Republicans.
But a 30,000-troop surge, which he supported and Mr. Obama opposed, and Gen. David Petraeus tactic of setting up outposts in Iraqi neighborhoods to battle insurgents reduced violence, he said.
Please click here to read the entire article.
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