McCain's Balancing Act On The Environment

Washington Post: GOP Candidate Champions Some "Green" Causes While Casting Contradictory Votes On Others

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Juliet Eilperin.

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In December 2005, Republicans were poised to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling, an achievement they had sought for decades. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) had attached the provision to a must-pass defense spending bill and threatened to keep lawmakers in Washington until Christmas if they tried to strip it. Desperate to remove the provision, leaders from national environmental groups turned to a handful of key GOP senators for help.

With only days left before the critical vote, League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski and Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund President Rodger Schlickheisen obtained a private audience with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). McCain had been on both sides of the Arctic drilling issue over the course of his career, and the two leaders of the fight against opening the refuge were eager to know whether he would come down in their column.

His answer disappointed them. In the brief meeting, the senator said he was unwilling to risk blocking a bill involving the military at a time of war -- even though it was clear the broader funding bill would pass quickly and by a wide margin if opponents managed to strip the ANWR provision from it. "We told him, 'This may be the key vote, this may be the time we win this,'" Schlickheisen recalled in an interview. "He said, 'Not on this bill.' That was it."

Ultimately environmental activists were able to defeat the measure with the aid of two Republican senators -- Lincoln Chafee (R.I.) and Mike DeWine (Ohio). But they have not forgotten McCain's decision, and many say it exemplifies his approach to environmental issues.

"There's no question that among a lot of bad Republican votes in the Senate, he's one of the better ones," Schlickheisen said. "He is perhaps the most unpredictable, erratic, of those votes."

McCain has made the environment one of the key elements of his presidential bid. He speaks passionately about the issue of climate change on the campaign trail, and he plans to outline his vision for combating global warming in a major speech today in Portland, Ore.

"I'm proud of my record on the environment," he said at a news conference Friday at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. "As president, I will dedicate myself to addressing the issue of climate change globally."

But an examination of McCain's voting record shows an inconsistent approach to the environment: He champions some "green" causes while casting sometimes contradictory votes on others.

The senator from Arizona has been resolute in his quest to impose a federal limit on greenhouse gas emissions, even when it means challenging his own party. But he has also cast votes against tightening fuel-efficiency standards and resisted requiring public utilities to offer a specific amount of electricity from renewable sources. He has worked to protect public lands in his home state, winning a 2001 award from the National Parks Conservation Association for helping give the National Park Service some say over air tours around the Grand Canyon, work that prompts former interior secretary and Arizona governor Bruce Babbitt to call him "a great friend of the canyon." But he has also pushed to set aside Endangered Species Act protections when they conflict with other priorities, such as the construction of a University of Arizona observatory on Mount Graham.

Doug Holtz-Eakin, McCain's senior policy adviser, said the senator does not always please "environmental groups who are single-issue, litmus test" organizations. Instead, he said, McCain seeks to weigh the costs and benefits of each environmental issue.

"Look, he always balances what are the environmental implications of these enterprises and what are the economic benefits that could come from them," Holtz-Eakin said. "That is, in general, an approach which may be harder to read than a flat ideological X or Y, but it's how he reads these things, it's how he evaluates these kinds of decisions."

As a result, McCain scores significantly lower than his Democratic rivals for the presidency, Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), in interest groups' studies of his environmental voting record. McCain's lifetime League of Conservation Voters score is 24 percent, compared with 86 for Obama and 86 for Clinton; Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund's conservation report card gave him 38 percent in the 108th Congress and 40 in the 109th. (McCain has missed every major environmental vote this Congress, giving him a zero rating.)

When Karpinski tells audiences about McCain's environmental scorecard rating, he said, "jaws drop. . . . I tell them, 'He's not as green as you think he is.'"

Obama has already sought to exploit this on the campaign trail: While campaigning in Bend, Ore., on Saturday he said McCain "opposed real solutions to our dependence on oil time and time again." In response, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds noted that Obama had supported the 2005 energy bill, which provided tax breaks for oil companies, while McCain did not.

The Republican's backers, and some environmentalists, say McCain deserves credit for taking the political risk of talking about these issues both on the Senate floor and in a GOP primary where he stood out as the only candidate committed to a specific target for reducing greenhouse gases. McCain supports cutting greenhouse gases 60 percent by the middle of this century compared with 1990 levels; Obama and Clinton back an 80 percent cut over the same period.

"There's no question he was both moved and troubled by the visible impact of climate change," said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), who has traveled with McCain to investigate the effects of global warming. "This is inside him now. . . . He stood up against the president of his own party, and the majority of members of his own party. I think that makes him an environmental leader."

On the campaign trail, McCain is more than eager to go toe-to-toe with skeptics of global warming who attend his town hall forums. When a man in Michigan asked him last week why the United States was not drilling in the Arctic refuge and off California's coasts, McCain replied that, as a federalist, he thinks states have the right to make those decisions.

"I can't say we should drill in the most pristine parts of America," he told the questioner, adding that he believes in finding new sources of oil, "But I also believe sooner or later we have got to become energy-independent, we've got to reduce greenhouse gases. That means nuclear, wind, solar, tide, et cetera."

Holtz-Eakin said McCain is flexible in his federalist approach when it comes to he question of drilling because, while many Alaskans support opening the Arctic refuge to oil and gas exploration, the senator has concluded that it's not worth exposing 250 species of wildlife there to damage.

For the most part, McCain follows a fairly instinctive approach to deciding environmental questions. In recent interviews he has said he thinks the government should list polar bears as endangered because shrinking sea ice threatens their survival, that sharks deserve protection because they're a crucial part of the marine food web, and that the nation needs to act on climate change because it risks an environmental catastrophe if it doesn't.

The senator does not boast an extensive staff of experts on these issues, however, and doesn't delve into the scientific and policy details the way former vice president Al Gore or some of his Senate colleagues do. In one conversation on his "Straight Talk Express" campaign bus, he voiced his frustration with activists who oppose nuclear power plants.

"We start building nuclear power plants, we'll have cheaper energy. Duh," he said.

Tim Profeta, who directs Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and served as Lieberman's counsel on the environment from 2001 to 2005, said McCain feels strongly about addressing climate change but often resists wading into the legislative weeds.

"He's really focused on the impacts and the problems climate change will beget, and the need for action," Profeta said, "but he has, I believe, worked with what Lieberman and his staff saw as the appropriate policy approach."

As a result, many advocates said they remain uncertain as to how McCain would tackle environmental issues if elected president this fall. They are still waiting to see whether he will vote in favor of Lieberman's latest climate bill, which is headed to the Senate next month.

"Global warming is the most pressing environmental issue facing the country, and Senator McCain carved a path of leadership on the issue in the past," said Jeremy Symons, who directs the National Wildlife Federation's campaign on global warming. "A lot of people are looking to see how he's going to handle it in his campaign, and as president."

[david1737]

j77761

Ha! You''ve decided to lie about an election which hasn''t taken place yet, as if you''ve got a crystal ball Sorry, that you''re such a loser.

[j77761]

Barack Obama will lose against John McCain, if Barack Obama wins against Hillary Clinton. Then, John McCain will do futher invasions. These said invasions will result in the annihilation of the UNITES STATES via NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

If by some manipulation of fate, Barack Obama wins against John McCain. Barack Obama will be the last president because Barack Obama will be set-up as the UNITED STATES gets annihilated.

The TRIGGER(S) that the MASONS are setting-up will push both Russia and China to NUKE the UNITED STATES via NUCLEAR WEAPONS. The MASONS want to FORCE the SEVENTH KINGDOM OF BABYLON ("EUROPEAN UNION"/NEW ROMAN EMPIRE). Three (3) HORNS have to be removed before the said SEVENTH KINGDOM can be realized. First, the UNITED STATES (REVELATIONS 17 AND 18). Then, RUSSIA and the NEAR EAST/MIDDLE EAST (EZEKIEL 39). The third HORN is CHINA partially destroyed in the interim to meet the anti-christ later in ISRAEL.

President BUSH was supposed to invade IRAN during 2006, as set-up by the COUNSEL OF TEN (REVELATIONS 13 and 17) and GOD. Neither GOD nor the said COUNSEL can stall any JUDGMENT of GOD. Hence, there was a change in GOD''S LAW during 2006. There was a change in the said LAW during July 2006.

[j77761]

Barack Obama will lose against John McCain, if Barack Obama wins against Hillary Clinton. Then, John McCain will do futher invasions. These said invasions will result in the annihilation of the UNITES STATES via NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

If by some manipulation of fate, Barack Obama wins against John McCain. Barack Obama will be the last president because Barack Obama will be set-up as the UNITED STATES gets annihilated.

The TRIGGER(S) that the MASONS are setting-up will push both Russia and China to NUKE the UNITED STATES via NUCLEAR WEAPONS. The MASONS want to FORCE the SEVENTH KINGDOM OF BABYLON ("EUROPEAN UNION"/NEW ROMAN EMPIRE). Three (3) HORNS have to be removed before the said SEVENTH KINGDOM can be realized. First, the UNITED STATES (REVELATIONS 17 AND 18). Then, RUSSIA and the NEAR EAST/MIDDLE EAST (EZEKIEL 39). The third HORN is CHINA partially destroyed in the interim to meet the anti-christ later in ISRAEL.

President BUSH was supposed to invade IRAN during 2006, as set-up by the COUNSEL OF TEN (REVELATIONS 13 and 17) and GOD. Neither GOD nor the said COUNSEL can stall any JUDGMENT of GOD. Hence, there was a change in GOD''S LAW during 2006. There was a change in the said LAW during July 2006.

[j77761]

Barack Obama will lose against John McCain, if Barack Obama wins against Hillary Clinton. Then, John McCain will do futher invasions. These said invasions will result in the annihilation of the UNITES STATES via NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

If by some manipulation of fate, Barack Obama wins against John McCain. Barack Obama will be the last president because Barack Obama will be set-up as the UNITED STATES gets annihilated.

The TRIGGER(S) that the MASONS are setting-up will push both Russia and China to NUKE the UNITED STATES via NUCLEAR WEAPONS. The MASONS want to FORCE the SEVENTH KINGDOM OF BABYLON ("EUROPEAN UNION"/NEW ROMAN EMPIRE). Three (3) HORNS have to be removed before the said SEVENTH KINGDOM can be realized. First, the UNITED STATES (REVELATIONS 17 AND 18). Then, RUSSIA and the NEAR EAST/MIDDLE EAST (EZEKIEL 39). The third HORN is CHINA partially destroyed in the interim to meet the anti-christ later in ISRAEL.

President BUSH was supposed to invade IRAN during 2006, as set-up by the COUNSEL OF TEN (REVELATIONS 13 and 17) and GOD. Neither GOD nor the said COUNSEL can stall any JUDGMENT of GOD. Hence, there was a change in GOD''S LAW during 2006. There was a change in the said LAW during July 2006.

[david1737]

Beware of neocons posing as angry Hillary supporters.

They are trying to divide our Party.

[david1737]

As soon as the KEATING 5/ SAVINGS AND LOAN SCANDAL is mentioned the Republican on this site run like roaches when the lights come on!

Why?

Google it and find out for yourselves.

Bush family S&L scandal, Keating 5, even McCain staffer Thomas Loeffler who was forced to step down yesterday was involved.

google it!

[taddles-2009]

"Already a party nominee McCain could have misdirected our attention elsewhere, but he didn%u2019t.

Posted by Riptide213 at 06:30 AM : May 19, 2008"


He didn''t'' have a chance. This was not McCain taking the bull by the horns and cleaning his ethical house, this was McCain reacting to news that several of his advisors and campaign staff were paid lobbyists. He would not have done any house cleaning had these lobbyists not been outed by the media. McCain did nothing more than can the people that got marked as crooks by the media. And since he didn''t do any house cleaning of his own volition there''s absolutely no assurance that the lobbyists in his campaign won''t stay with the campaign until outed.

[riptide213]

Remember this.

We the people in order to form a better nation. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

When did it all go astray?

Make this election an historic 21st Century turning point in our national politics when the American people had their modern day resurgence to tear down the ivory towers of political cronyism and arrogance.

If the people dont win this one, if the people dont make politicians answerable now to us then we the people might not get another chance to really change the course of our prevailing political descent into an abyss of public desolation.

All those in power must play or pay by our rules not some privileged artificial construct of democracy without public accountability or rebuke.

Voters fix your bayonets of virtue and lunge toward a ballot box near you to save our nation from the enemy within.

Vote for them in political battle trenches isolating our nations leaders from their own citizens and putrefying spirit and intent of our countries founding principles.

If required, vote with your best gut instinct not with your party politics.

[briannorwood]

I just don''t understand where McCain stands on anything. The guy is just flip-flopping all over the place on just about every issue. He has no intellectural or moral compass anymore.

I really thought he was something different in 2000, and as a Democrat, was even considering voting for him then.

Now, however, that will never happen. It''s sad to see his lifelong ambition for the Presidency overcome his own dignity.

Like Hillary, McCain seems to be willing to say anything and do anything to win this election. He is truly a tragic figure.

[sleepyric]

Hear that hissing sound???? The the air leaving the McCain blimp...and now he''s dumping ballast (staff with lobbyist ties) trying to gain altitude..the good ship McBlimp is nose diving right into the ground...oh!...the humanity!.....

[riptide213]

Thank you Senator McCain for being a decision maker who after talking the talk is now willing to take the first steps in walking the walk. I%u2019m obliged to give him full credit for a rousing refocus to help keep citizens and voters on target to demand all candidates open up and take steps toward better public scrutiny in politics. Already a party nominee McCain could have misdirected our attention elsewhere, but he didn%u2019t.

Public scrutiny in all things political must be the new political correctness battle cry craze to sweep this nation. Change can only happen from candidates or incumbents who are in the game.

The Good, Bad, and Ugly balance in politics has been deplorably tilting towards the later two depraved traits. Any small nugget of good gold dust on scale of integrity to counterbalance transgressions of lobbyist influence is welcome. I yearn its not fools gold.

Intrigue and desirability of any candidate from any party that executes actions vs words toward invigorating a lobbyist purge is to the point.

Paid professional career lobbyists are eroding and weakening the by now fading influence of voters and ordinary citizens.

Any action by any candidate from any party who takes on the responsibility of holding anyone to account and by putting into practice any ethics code is worthy of praise for the greater political good which transcends all parties.

Sanctioned by scrupulous voters everywhere; let the lobbyist witch hunts commence.

[incog-nito]

Most Americans are dissatisfied with Bush''s job performance. McCain''s solution? CONTINUE Bush''s policies if elected.

[omaar-101]

The Spotlight is Coming John, you`ve been in a Convenient Shadows, Long Enough !!

Have you Noticed Since Obama Challenged Bush & McCain on National Security and that he`d Win, McCain is Clearing out his Cronies & Implementing his ''New Policy''...

What a JOKE !!!


Loeffler, who runs the lobbying shop The Loeffler Group, is the highest profile departure from McCain`s inner circle since a summer 2007 shake-up cost McCain his campaign manager and chief strategist.

Among Loeffler`s clients is the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., the parent company of plane manufacturer Airbus. Northrop Grumman Corp. and EADS won a lucrative contract to provide air refueling tankers for the Air Force. McCain helped scuttle an earlier contract in 2004 that would have gone to a competitor, Boeing Co.

Loeffler`s firm also has lobbied for other foreign interests and foreign governments. Newsweek reported over the weekend that Loeffler`s firm was paid $15 million by Saudi Arabia.

The news magazine also said Loeffler listed meeting McCain along with the (Saudi Ambassador) to ''discuss (US-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Relations),'' even though Loeffler told a reporter last month that he had not discussed his clients with McCain.


McCain`s NEW POLICY prohibits any staffer on the campaign from being a registered lobbyist or foreign agent.

[jesterbelle]

Not to worry folks,you can all have your jobs back November 5th.

[smirk5]

The Republicans have a major problem this year. They have no solutions to offer to solve all the problems they have caused with the policies they support.

[david1737]

Once you''ve done just a couple of research McCain''s out of this race for good.

Google S&L scandal.

Keating 5

Former Texas Rep. Thomas G. Loeffler

[eddynewhope]

Yeah - really! Isn''t it "appeasement" to allow Bin Laden to operate with total impunity after all that big, tough talk? Whatever happened to "wanted dead or alive"? Bush and McCain don''t want to catch Bin Laden because it would remove their principle reasoning to start wars and make looooots of money and play army with real, patriotic American soldiers.

And on a side note, how does getting shot down and captured qualify you as a hero? McCain certainly deserves great credit for serving and surviving, but aren''t the guys who shoot down enemies and rescue POWs the heroes?

[smirk5]

Bush woke a few days ago, his Sunni appeasement policy already in place in Iraq, and decided to imply that Obama was an appeaser.

[veteran72]

Though he was not convicted of anything, McCain intervened on behalf of Charles Keating after Keating gave McCain at least $112,00 in contributions. In the mid-1980s, McCain made at least 9 trips on Keating''s airplanes, and 3 of those were to Keating''s luxurious retreat in the Bahamas. McCain''s wife and father-in-law also were the largest investors (at $350,000) in a Keating shopping center; the Phoenix New Times called it a "sweetheart deal."

- Mafia ties: In 1995, McCain sent birthday regards, and regrets for not attending, to Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonano, the head of the New York Bonano crime family, who had retired to Arizona. Another politician to send regrets was Governor Fife Symington, who has since been kicked out of office and convicted of 7 felonies relating to fraud and extortion.

Bush = McBush

[smirk5]

Hi, I''m George Bush Jr. I pay and train Sunnis that have killed our men. I give our enemies money and training. I''m an appeaser by definition. But, I call others appeasers and my followers are dumb enough to believe it.