Barack Obama has routinely been attempting to discredit John McCain as an extension of President Bush.
And he’s also been demonizing McCain as being too close to the oil companies. A recent Obama ad said of McCain, “”He’s for billions in new oil company giveaways while prices soar.”
John McCain responded yesterday, saying:
“Obama might be a little bit confused. Yesterday, he accused me of having President Bush’s policies on energy. That’s odd because he voted for the president’s energy bill and I voted against it,” McCain said.
“I know he hasn’t been in the Senate that long but even in the real world voting for something means you support it and voting against something means you oppose it,” McCain said.
Doesn’t that little factoid make Obama look like a big, fat, huge hypocrite?
McCain – justifiably – argues that HE has actually been far more determined to block giveaways to the oil companies than has been Obama, and that is precisely why he voted AGAINST the 2005 energy bill that Obama voted FOR.
McCain said of that 2005 energy bill that Obama voted for and he voted against:
“I spoke up against the administration and Congress and Sen. Obama when they gave us an energy bill with more than giveaways to big oil and really no solution to our energy problems,” McCain said. “I want to take a minute here on this issue ’cause I think Sen. Obama might be a little bit confused. Yesterday he accused me of having President Bush’s policies on energy. That’s odd because he voted for the president’s energy bill and I voted against it.”
“It had $2.8 billion in corporate welfare to big oil companies and they’re already making record profits as you know,” McCain said of the 2005 energy bill. “Sen. Obama voted for that bill, and it’s big oil giveaways. I know he hasn’t been in the senate that long, but even in the real world, voting for something — voting for something means your support, and voting against something means you oppose it.”
So when I call Barack Obama a hypocritical lying demagogue, realize that I’m being factually correct. Obama was the one who actually supported the Bush energy bill, and HE’S the one who voted for “billions in new oil company giveaways while prices soared.”
Is John McCain simply saying, drill, drill, drill, with no comprehensive strategy, as demonizing and demagoguing Democrats love to claim?
McCain says he wants an “all-of-the-above” approach to solving U.S. energy problems, which have seen gas prices rise to more than $4 a gallon before falling back.
He advocates a range of measures including building more nuclear power plants by 2030, developing clean coal as well as wind and solar power and wants Congress to rescind a ban on fresh drilling off U.S. coasts.
Energy is particularly important in Ohio because the traditional battleground state where Republicans and Democrats are evenly matched is one of the nation’s largest producers of coal.
“Obama says he wants energy independence but he’s opposed to new drilling at home. He’s opposed to nuclear power. He said the high cost of gasoline doesn’t bother him it only rose too quickly. Tell that to the people who are driving the oldest automobiles,” McCain said to applause.
John McCain isn’t claiming that drilling is our only answer; he’s stating the fact that it is a significant part of any legitimate American energy plan. We need oil, and will continue to need it for decades to come.
Bottom line: John McCain is demanding a comprehensive energy policy that includes drilling for oil, digging for coal,and building nuclear energy plants – all of which have been blocked by Democrats for decades.
Barack Obama, meanwhile, is opposed to all of these measures. He is essentially attempting to thwart production of over 90% of our energy (oil, coal, and natural gas alone represent about 83% of our energy), and focusing instead on doubling the 5% of our energy that qualifies as “alternative.”
And Obama is falsely attacking John McCain as an extension to Bush when HE’S the one who actually supported the Bush energy plan that McCain opposed.
So here’s the question: do you want a demagoguing liar who won’t produce any energy, or do you want the man who is actually proposing real solutions?
We need a leader, not a liar.
Tags: Barack Obama, Bush, Bush energy bill, coal, energy, John McCain, nuclear, oil, oil companies, voted
