McCain: Bush's piggyback
Posted: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 9:47 AM by Mark Murray
One day after McCain proposed lifting the federal ban on off-shore oil-drilling, President Bush will call on Congress to lift the ban as well, the New York Times writes. "Even before the disclosure of Mr. Bush’s decision, the drilling issue caused a heated back-and-forth on the campaign trail on Tuesday, as Mr. McCain sought to straddle the divide between environmentalists and the energy industry, while facing accusations from his Democratic opponent, Senator Barack Obama, that he had flip-flopped and capitulated to the oil industry."
VIDEO: As gasoline and other fuel prices continue to rise, Barack Obama and John McCain are sparring over energy plans, including proposals for offshore drilling. NBC's David Gregory reports.
"In laying out his energy policy, the presumptive Republican nominee sought to woo voters angry over $4-a-gallon gas and to carve out his independence from President Bush," the
Boston Globe writes. "But by saying he would lift the federal ban on offshore drilling, he dismayed many environmental groups, which had praised him as an ally on global warming and had said either he or Democrat Barack Obama could provide the presidential leadership needed for real progress. And McCain provided an opening for Democrats, who accused him of flip-flopping on the offshore drilling issue and kowtowing to Big Oil - the same moneyed interests critics say have controlled US energy policy under Bush.
Here’s a
point-by-point comparison of the two candidates' positions on energy.
The New York Daily News: "Cindy McCain cooks up more controversy." "Cindy McCain's been caught with her hand in the cookie jar again. McCain's recipe for oatmeal-butterscotch cookies, published on the Family Circle Web site earlier in the month, appears to be an almost exact replica of a Hershey's recipe. (See below for both recipes.) This is not the first time John McCain's wife has been caught up in a cooking controversy."
Per the campaign pool report, check this quote from John McCain at a Texas fundraiser last night: "We've got to start putting the country first," McCain began. "And Ronald Reagan knew how to reach across the aisle. President Bush, when he was governor of this great state, also did a great job at that. By the way, I think the president might deserve a little credit for the fact that there's not been another attack on the United States of America since 9/11."
Now, did you read that quote very carefully? McCain seems to imply that Bush did a good job of reaching across the aisle as Texas governor, but not as president. And what did McCain mean by, "We've got to start putting the country first"? McCain is getting more comfortable distancing himself from Bush even in Bush's backyard. Now will McCain start saying this in speeches where criticizing the president on bipartisanship would make bigger headlines.
Here’s a quote from McCain at another fundraiser in swanky River Oaks, a ritzy section of Houston: "Thank you for welcoming us in the modest middle-income tract home," McCain said sarcastically. "Thank you Tilman, you know these public housing projects are quite much more successful, section eight, than a lot of us give them credit for. And you know one of the differences between me and Senator Obama – Senator Obama wants every American to have a home. I want every American to have a home like this one."
The New York Times has a column by David Leonhardt, who has lots of questions about McCain's economic agenda.
