More on McCain and ethanol

Posted: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 4:13 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
To clarify a post I made earlier -- which McCain’s campaign called me to vehemently oppose and demand an immediate correction -- on McCain’s stance on ethanol, here’s some information on his statements in recent years, and notice the shift in tone:

AGAINST IT
1999: During his 2000 run, MSNBC debate, Dec. 14, 1999:
"I'm here to tell you that I'm going to tell you the things that you don't want to hear, as well as the things you want to hear, and one of those is ethanol. Ethanol is not worth it. It does not help the consumer."

More: "Those ethanol subsidies should be phased out, and everybody here on this stage, if it wasn't for the fact that Iowa is the first caucus state, would share my view that we don't need ethanol subsidies. It doesn't help anybody.”

2003: Here's McCain’s language in November 2003 against ethanol…
"Ethanol is a product that would not exist if Congress didn't create an artificial market for it. No one would be willing to buy it. Yet thanks to agricultural subsidies and ethanol producer subsidies, it is now a very big business -- tens of billions of dollars that have enriched a handful of corporate interests -- primarily one big corporation, ADM. Ethanol does nothing to reduce fuel consumption, nothing to increase our energy independence, nothing to improve air quality."

FOR IT
2006: McCain in a speech in Grinnell, Iowa in August 2006:
"I support ethanol, and I think it is a vital, a vital alternative energy source not only because of our dependency on foreign oil but its greenhouse gas reduction effects." (Associated Press via Fortune Magazine).

2007: May 13, 2007: Meet the Press with Tim Russert:
RUSSERT: In 2007 you go to Iowa and say this: ‘I support ethanol. I think it's a vital alternative energy source, not only because of our dependence on foreign oil but because of its greenhouse gas reduction effects.’

Is the switch because you're entering the Iowa caucus?

MCCAIN: When oil is $15 a barrel, ethanol does not make sense. When oil is $60-plus a barrel, then ethanol does make sense.

RUSSERT: So you've changed your mind.

MCCAIN: No, I haven't. I have adjusted to the realities of the world we live in today.

---

--In August 2006, McCain was polling first or a close second in Iowa polls. (Research 2000 (R): McCain 27, Giuliani 26, Romney 9)

--In May 2007, McCain was second in Iowa. (Des Moines Register poll: Romney 30, McCain 18, Giuliani 17, Huckabee 4)

EMAIL THIS

Comments

Straight talk express is PANCAKED

Yiannis, Baltimore (Sent Wednesday, December 12, 2007 4:32 PM)

No you got him wrong, he is straight talking his different positions. You forgot -- they are the Repubs, Bush, Rudy, Romney name one that is different.

Cj Los Angeles (Sent Wednesday, December 12, 2007 4:41 PM)

No you got him wrong, he is straight talking his different positions. You forgot -- they are the Repubs, Bush, Rudy, Romney name one that is different.

Cj Los Angeles (Sent Wednesday, December 12, 2007 4:41 PM)

He was right the first time. This ethanol bs is just a way to get tax dollars to ADM, et al. (Corporate welfare is NOT socialism! Helping ordinary Americans with tax dollars - THAT'S socialism.)

Lee in CA (Sent Wednesday, December 12, 2007 5:18 PM)

Why has this term socialized so and so been so beaten over the head of the American public? Why are people listening to the same ones who said there were WMDs in Iraq and nuclear bombs in Iran. What are Republicans not scared of?

Travis, Louisville, Ky (Sent Wednesday, December 12, 2007 5:48 PM)

It may make good copy, but I see no contradiction in McCain's position:
When oil prices are low (i.e. the '99, '03 quotes), ethanol makes little sense as an alternative energy source. McCain opposed subsidies for it. When oil prices are higher (i.e. 2006-now), it may make more economic sense to produce it. McCain STILL opposes subsidies for it.
This is distorted, YouTube clip stuff. It would take an extremely generous frame of mind not to conclude this report is deliberately misleading.

Ed H (Sent Wednesday, December 12, 2007 6:47 PM)

lol.....so, let me ask this.....who isn't a flip flopper....lol.

Matt, Las Vegas, NV (Sent Wednesday, December 12, 2007 6:59 PM)

He may support ethanol, just not ethanol subsidies!

IdeasNotMoney Cedar Park, TX (Sent Wednesday, December 12, 2007 7:01 PM)

More "BS express" from gasbag mccain. This old fool is really full of himself!

Steve A Jonesboro IN (Sent Wednesday, December 12, 2007 7:04 PM)

We know now that burning ethanol from corn produces Nitrous Oxide that is 300 times more harmful to the environment than the CO2 from petroleum. It not only produces more greenhouse gases but also pollutes our water supply. His earlier comments were correct. It's politics as usual.

Bob, Texas (Sent Thursday, December 13, 2007 1:20 AM)

If Ethanol made sense we wouldn't have to mandate it's use or subsidize it. Farmers are failures as business people. When they overproduce things and markets are low we have to come wipe their butts. Ethanol is just the toy they want and their going to hold their breath until they get it. Mc Cain was right the first time, but he now looks like a sniveling coward. Gray Davis opposed ethanol and BUSH so he was fired that sent a message to all politicians; "Oppose the god of corn and Ye shall perish". Remember the MTBE scare? It only happened in California. If you can find a candidate that stays true to their convictions vote for them and for Gods sakes let us know about them. Why do lobbyists wear neckties? to keep the foreskin from going over their heads.

Joe Lovshe, Willow Spring, IL 60525 (Sent Thursday, December 13, 2007 6:52 AM)

A good politician corrects his mistakes. Ethanol was not as big of a topic in 2003 and it has been in 2007. McCain, once again is looking at the good of the nation and not the good of a political race. His polls in Iowa are weak and were always weak due to his inability to attract the conservative base, Ethanol has never been use as a pawn for campaigning by McCain and political props are never his game. Look to Clinton or Romney if you want to play that game. McCain is the most prepared, most experienced, and most honest candidate on both sides of the aisle. It would be a shame for him to lose another oppurtunity to be president in this era of easily swayed, uneducated, naive, insecure, and dependant people. Especially when he is the only candidate that can re-unite and restore confidence in this nation's divided and depreciated political system.

Yiorgos, Chicago,IL (Sent Thursday, December 13, 2007 2:40 PM)

McCain may have flipped on this issue (although the realities of higher oil prices today should be taken in account), but he is still (along with Obama)the most honest person who is running for president.

Jim Pittsburgh PA (Sent Thursday, December 13, 2007 4:24 PM)

Besides the fact that the economics have changed, the environmental impact is about to change as well. Cellulosic ethanol is real and happening today. It is only a matter of time before production can be scaled to have a real positive impact on our energy and environmental future. This production method works in concert with the production of food crops, rather than in competition with it, by using current farm waste (and other sources) as the feed stock. This also reduces the amount of energy needed to produce it because the energy is already being spent to gather the chaff.

Given the two green factors at play here, if he still opposed ethanol, you could almost argue that would be a flip flop of the foundation principals on which his opinion was founded. If you only looks at the surface, you never sees what's holding it up.

Alan Johnson, Wilder, VT (Sent Thursday, January 17, 2008 10:55 AM)

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