McCain Walks into Energy Trap

[Coexist]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/06/has-mccain-walked-into-an_n_117228.html

On Friday, a group of ten Senators, hoping to break a stalemate on the nation's energy debate, unveiled compromise legislation to open new areas in the Gulf of Mexico to drilling (in addition to allowing exploration as close to 50 miles off of Florida's Gulf coast) while also raising taxes on major oil companies.

The five Democrats and five Republicans behind the effort were quickly joined by Obama, who objects to drilling but called the compromise "a good faith effort at a new bipartisan beginning." For this he was labeled a flip-flopper by Republican critics and given a slap on the wrist by some environmental advocates.

The short-term backlash may pale in comparison to the potholes that confront McCain. The Arizona Republican's campaign has been opaque in its response to the Gang of Ten. An anonymous aide to the Senator was quoted in the Wall Street Journal applauding the efforts, but said his boss wouldn't support the proposal because "he cannot and will not support legislation that raises taxes."

....

McCain is stuck in a conundrum: express support for the Gang of Ten and incur the wrath of anti-tax crusaders or continue rolling the dice against public opinion and risk being painted as a stooge of the oil lobby. His $1.3 million in oil and gas donations in June only furthers the frame.

[predfan]

1. As we shift from fossil fuels to whatever alternatives work best, you can be assured

that SOMEBODY WILL MAKE LOTS OF MONEY. That's just the way it is.......I just want to keep that money here in America, if possible, fueling OUR economy. IMO that's why solar and wind has been tamped down for so long...........nobody owns the sunshine or the breeze. Yet.

[lob1]

2. Isn't McCain one of the Gang of Ten? I think he used to be.

[islandmkl]

3. that was the 'gang of 14' (i think that's the #)...

a congressional 'bi-partisan' group from several years ago...

[seasat]

4. He's an old fossil so he supports fossil fuels.

It's that simple. ;)