McCain Adopts Cheney's Energy Plan

[jpak]

http://www.alternet.org/environment/94286/mccain_adopts_cheney's_energy_plan/

John McCain, who once was regarded as a top Republican ally of the environmental movement, has embraced an energy plan nearly identical to Vice President Dick Cheney's National Energy Policy, which was drafted largely by industry executives and which pushed their desire for more oil drilling and nuclear power.

Now echoing those views, McCain declares repeatedly, "We need to drill here and we need to drill now." Beyond opening up large tracts of protected coastal waters for oil exploration, McCain has called for a massive expansion of nuclear power.

"If I am elected president, I will set this nation on a course to building 45 new reactors by the year 2030, with the ultimate goal of 100 new plants to power the homes and factories and cities of America," McCain said during a campaign stop at a nuclear power plant in Michigan on Tuesday.

McCain's current positions on offshore drilling and nuclear power dovetail with the policies of the Bush administration and mark a sharp break between major environmental groups and McCain, who previously used his environmental credentials as proof of his maverick ways.

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[OKIsItJustMe]

1. McCain Supports Tax Breaks For Oil Industry -- But Not For Wind Power

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/mccain_supports_tax_breaks_for.php

McCain Supports Tax Breaks For Oil Industry -- But Not For Wind Power

By Greg Sargent - August 12, 2008, 2:55PM

Here's something else that could create political complications for John McCain in key swing states as he continues to defend measures that would maintain tax breaks for the oil industry: He recently opposed extending tax breaks for the wind-power industry.

Making this more difficult for McCain, the fledgling wind-power industry is popular in key upper Midwest and central plains states -- and here you have McCain protecting such tax breaks for Big Oil, but opposing them for Big Wind, or, if you prefer, Little Wind.

McCain recently opposed the big $300 billion farm bill, which itself is extremely popular throughout the upper midwest, http://www.wtop.com/?nid=213&sid=1454542">describing the bill as "a $300 billion, bloated, pork-barrel-laden bill" because of subsidies for industries like ethanol.

But in a little-noticed development, the bill also contained a measure extending a tax break for developing wind power, which McCain http://www.wtop.com/?nid=213&sid=1454542">specifically opposed. Obama backed it. According to Senator Tom Harkin, an Obama ally, the wind energy industry is employing close to 2,000 people, some concentrated in those key swing states. It's little local issues like these that can move votes in states where the voting is expected to be extremely close.

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