Obama Tries To Link McCain To Cheney

Democrat Says Cheney, Administration Are Responsible For Nation's Energy Woes

(AP)  Democratic candidate Barack Obama criticized Republican John McCain on Tuesday for taking a page out of "the Cheney playbook" on energy, overlooking his own support of oil-friendly policies that the unpopular vice president helped to craft.

Vice President Dick Cheney, a former oilman, early in the Bush administration helped draft an energy policy that Obama asserted is biased in favor of tax breaks and favorable treatment for big oil. Obama's remarks were an attempt to capitalize on Cheney's unpopularity.

"President Bush, he had an energy policy. He turned to Dick Cheney and he said, 'Cheney, go take care of this,"' Obama said. "Cheney met with renewable-energy folks once and oil and gas (executives) 40 times. McCain has taken a page out of the Cheney playbook."

In stumping Tuesday in this key battleground state, Obama sought to link the troubled economy with Republican policies and offer his own energy plan in contrast. He has tried to cast McCain as more concerned about oil company profits and drilling than an overall energy strategy.

However, Obama himself voted for a 2005 energy bill backed by Bush that included billions in subsidies for oil and natural gas production, a measure Cheney played a major role in developing. McCain opposed the bill on grounds it included billions in unnecessary tax breaks for the oil industry.

The Obama campaign has said the Illinois senator supported the legislation because it included huge investments in renewable energy.

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds, said, "Barack Obama is opposed to offshore drilling and is also opposed to admitting that he voted for the same corporate giveaways for Big Oil that he's campaigning against today."

With polls showing concern over gas prices a prime concern of Americans, Obama has been depicting energy as the nation's most pressing national security and economic issue.

Obama has proposed a $1,000-per family energy rebate to be paid for by a tax on excessive energy-company profits. He called for ending U.S. reliance on oil from the Middle East and Venezuela over the next 10 years, a project he said would cost the U.S. $150 billion.

Obama has also proposed borrowing oil from the strategic petroleum reserve as a short-term measure to reduce gasoline prices, a conditional and limited resumption of offshore drilling, and a new emphasis on alternative energy sources and hybrid vehicles.

"Our economy is in turmoil, I don't have to tell the people of Youngstown," Obama told a high-school gymnasium audience in this rust-belt city. "People here have known some hard knocks and hard times."

Ohio is a bellwether state, having voted for the winning candidate in all 11 presidential elections since 1964, including handing Bush a close re-election victory in 2004.

Increasingly, with his appearances this week and with a new ad, Obama has been seeking to tie McCain to the oil and gas industry, although McCain, unlike Bush and Cheney, did not previously work in the industry.

A new Obama ad says Big Oil filled McCain's campaign with $2 million in contributions and that he "wants to give them another $4 billion in tax breaks."

That $4 billion consists mainly of potential revenue from a McCain proposal to lower corporate taxes on all American businesses.

The McCain campaign pointed out that the ad doesn't mention Obama has taken some $400,000 from oil company executives.

"We have to end the age of oil. "Obama said. "If we fail to act, there are severe indications for national security, our economy and our environment."

Obama has had trouble connecting with white working-class voters, who are a major factor in Ohio. Clinton won the state in its Democratic primary earlier this year. Gov. Ted Strickland, who had been a Clinton supporter, gave a rousing endorsement of Obama, calling him "bright, young, energized and compassionate."

Obama's focused on economic issues. He said that oil giant Exxon-Mobil "makes in 30 seconds what the typical Ohio worker makes in a year."

"We need more jobs and economic development. Why don't we focus on clean energy and reopening factories and putting people back to work? Nobody is benefiting from jobs that are leaving the community," he said.

Obama has proposed a $15-billion-a-year program to help promote clean-energy jobs.

In a question-and-answer session, Obama was asked if he would support term limits for members of Congress by a questioner who noted that many senators were elderly.

"I've got colleagues in the Senate who are doing absolutely outstanding work, and they're well into their 70s," Obama said. He praised ailing Sen. Edward M. Kennedy as one.

"I'm generally not in favor of term limits," he said. "Nobody is term-limiting the lobbyists or the slick operators walking around the halls of Congress. I believe in one form of term limits. They're called elections."

Obama had a 6 percentage point lead over McCain in an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday. He leads McCain among women by 13 points, among young voters 33 and younger by 30 points, and by 55 points among minorities, according to the poll. McCain leads among whites by 10 points.

A poll released Monday by The Washington Post showed Obama with a 2-to-1 edge with low-income voters.

[seah5]

Obama votes more in Cheney favor than anyone.

Obama and Cheney are cousins and bush.

McCain is nothing Like Bush, just Propaganda Obama is trying to spin. We all know Obama all talk and BS.

[peterp111]

I''m starting to agree that the only thing that has Obama in this contest is race. Imagine an Obama that was 70 years old and white - a guy with no experience, no ideas, and who betrays his voters every chance he gets. A small-time lawyer from Chicago. He would have 0% chance of winning the nomination. Obama''s entire campaign is "hey I''m different" but when you pay attention, the only way he is "different" is his fake mixed race. That is the only thing remotely "different" about this two-bit little con man from Chicago. Otherfwise he is one of the phoniest, insincere, selfish and small-minded politicians you will ever see on the national stage.

[marye-13]

I keep hearing the question "why don''t the oil companies drill on the 600,000+ acres they already have under lease, 400,000 of which are off-shore?" I have never heard their answer. Why should anymore off-shore leases be given when they don''t use the ones they have?

[hasher471]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Exxon Mobil once again reported the largest quarterly profit in U.S. history Thursday, posting net income of $11.68 billion on revenue of $138 billion in the second quarter.
%u2026
The big international oil companies have been criticized for plowing much of their profits back into stock buybacks and other programs to benefit shareholders, as opposed to exploring for more oil which could bring down the price of crude for everyone.
Critics charge the oil companies with deliberately restricting production in an attempt to keep prices high. %u2026

[hasher471]

But you libs lost, Paris make it obviously clear to Americans that Obama was against Drilling and therefore against energy independence, Obama doesn''''t give two ____ for the people suffering at the pump.
Posted by Minuteman-5 at 02:05 PM : Aug 06, 2008

--------------------------------
Time for the Repug Special Education classes to begin again.
1. The oil companies HAVE MILLIONS OF LEASED OFFSHORE ACRES to DRILL on.
2. Even if the oil companies starting drilling yesterday, that oil wouldn''t make a difference at the pump to 10 yeas.

Come on, Repugs. It''s not a hard concept to grasp.

[shaheed92]

I don''t like the plan of that "wringly white-hair dude" since he is taking so much money from big oil contributors.

[shaheed92]

The man in charge of recruiting Muslims to support Barack Obama resigned from the campaign on Monday %u2014 just nine days after being appointed %u2014 when an Internet newsletter revealed the man was on the board of an Islamic investment fund on which a fundamentalist imam also sits.

Posted by Peterp111 at 10:13 AM : Aug 06, 2008
________________

And your point is? Maybe guilt by association?

[minuteman-5]

Posted by antoniof123 at 01:23 PM

But you libs lost, Paris make it obviously clear to Americans that Obama was against Drilling and therefore against energy independence, Obama doesn''t give two ____ for the people suffering at the pump.

[antoniof123]

3. I love the paris hilton ad. its hilarious...and guess what...she believes in drilling, her plan is better than Obama''''''''s.
Posted by lilvinnyb at 09:21 AM : Aug 06, 2008

If you would have listened to the joke you would have heard that it was to combine both ways. Just like a neo con to leave out the rest of the story.

God I bet you guys practice on how to make it sound like you know what you are talking about.

[bigwhtpony]

3. I love the paris hilton ad. its hilarious...and guess what...she believes in drilling, her plan is better than Obama''''s.
Posted by lilvinnyb at 09:21 AM : Aug 06, 2008

I''m sure that, when it comes to being drilled, Paris Hilton is the hands down expert! LOL

[ariel133]

During July, the number of people who considered themselves to be Democrats fell two percentage points to the lowest level since January. And, it''s just a matter of time before more wake up to the nonsense Democrats represent. Where is Pelosi? She doesn''''t want to deal with the energy crisis? LOSER.

[peterp111]

The man in charge of recruiting Muslims to support Barack Obama resigned from the campaign on Monday %u2014 just nine days after being appointed %u2014 when an Internet newsletter revealed the man was on the board of an Islamic investment fund on which a fundamentalist imam also sits.


Inflate your tires. Obama says. From a man with an inflated ego.

[armydog2]

lilvinnyb
Mccain has voted against the new GI Bill, and bush promised to veto it. It was passed by adding it to the war spending bill. Mccain has consistently voted against added funding for the VA and the fact that the VA needs assured funding to take care of the Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Mccain voted for extending the tours of duty to 15 months from 12. Why don''t you spend 15 months in a place where someone is trying to kill you 24/7. And you call this caring for our Troops and supporting them. Get real, mccain is a politician and is pandering to the right.Mr flip-flop that he is.

[lilvinnyb]

i have no idea how that got posted 3 times.

[babooph]

John is a great guy,he knows what a lowgrade crook Cheney is,& any similar activity is rare & incidental.I guess politics gets tough for elections.

[mbcsmith]

POLITICS AS USUAL FROM NOBAMA!


''CHANGE" WHAT A LAUGH!

[lilvinnyb]

Hey "liberalme". Just Two points.

1. When people say that mcaain voted against interests of the troope, that never holds water. no one cares more for the troops then Mccain does.

2. If you are talking about the veterans bill. Mccain felt that giving people who serve 4 years the same benefits that people who server 20 years get was unfair.

Personally, I agree with him that if you get the same benefits after 4 years that someone gets after 20...whats the incentive to stay in the military.

If anything is not in the interests of our troops...its a military where people get generous benefits after 4 years of service.

3. I love the paris hilton ad. its hilarious...and guess what...she believes in drilling, her plan is better than Obama''s.

[ajaxtheleast]

You all have it wrong. This isn''t political.

This is in the intreasts of science.

More pointedly, evolution.

If Obama is able to link McCain to Cheney

THE MISSING LINK WILL HAVE BEEN FOUND!

And found residing right in a wall space

in our very own White House.

[abbe91]

"Hey Bush haters- You all think he was a big fat liar? Then why are you choosing to support Obama?
Posted by Peterp111 at 08:47 AM : Aug 06, 2008"

Cause McBush is another big fat liar.

[liberalme]

Wonder why CBS isn''t publishing Paris Hiltons new ad?

If McCains ad was funny--this one is even better!!


IS ANYONE IN THE PRESS GOING TO ASK OBAMA WHY HE VOTED FOR CHENEYS ENERGY BILL IN 2005...THE SAME ONE MCCAIN VOTED AGAINST.

WHAT NERVE TO TRY AND LINK MCCAIN TO CHENEY NOW.

ITS NOT CHE BUSH-CHENEY-MCCAIN ENRGY POLICY, ITS THE BUSH-CHENEY-OBAMA POLICY

Posted by lilvinnyb at 08:44 AM : Aug 06, 2008

For starters, lets ask McCain why, in the past year--has he consistently voted AGAINST the best interest of our troops????