Despite Claims Of Being A ‘Leader’ On The Issue, McCain Plans To Skip Vote On Landmark Climate Change Bill
Despite Claims Of Being A ‘Leader’ On The Issue, McCain Plans To Skip Vote On Landmark Climate Change Bill
Earlier this month, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) sought to distance himself from President Bush by calling for a mandatory limit on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. “I will not shirk the mantle of leadership that the United States bears,” McCain said in a speech at a wind power company.
On his campaign website, McCain (R-AZ) calls himself “a leader on the issue of global warming,” which he says is “an issue we can no longer afford to ignore“:
John McCain has a proud record of common sense stewardship. Along with his commitment to clean air and water, and to conserving open space, he has been a leader on the issue of global warming with the courage to call the nation to action on an issue we can no longer afford to ignore.
But apparently McCain’s idea of leadership goes only so far. In a press conference yesterday, McCain said he would skip an upcoming vote in the Senate on “a landmark bill imposing mandatory limits on greenhouse gases”:
In a press conference late Wednesday afternoon, McCain said he did not support the bill sponsored by two of his closest allies, Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) because it doesn’t offer enough aid to the nuclear industry, and he would not come to the floor to vote on it.
“I have not been there for a number of votes. The same thing happened in the campaign of 2000,” he said. “The people of Arizona understand I’m running for president.”
Earlier this month, McCain said that he hoped the bill, which was introduced by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and John Warner (R-VA), “will be passed” and that “the entire Congress will join in supporting it.”
Responding to McCain’s decision to skip the vote, Lexi Shultz, deputy director of the climate program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told the Washington Post that “If you don’t come back to vote on the bill, you can’t say that you’re all that serious about taking action on climate change.”
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Grampy used to pour his used motor oil in the creek, it got rid of it faster.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:02 pmI can see McAncient retelling his story…
May 29th, 2008 at 3:06 pm“Back in my day, we had to make our own air by hand. We had to walk 10 miles uphill in both directions for a thimble full of oxygen. And if we wanted our climate warmed, we had to build a fire…”
Well if he can miss the vote on the veterans’ bill, something he pretends to care about, missing this one will be no problem.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:06 pmIf I were having as much trouble raising money as McIIIrd, I’d be out pandering for cash rather than doing my job as a Senator too.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:06 pmIs it me or is McCain looking older every day?
May 29th, 2008 at 3:07 pmA leader can lead you toward something…
May 29th, 2008 at 3:09 pmor lead you away from something.
.
Which are you, John McCain?
Is there ANY cause that Johnny Boy is for before he wasn’t or vice versa?
This is getting to the point of passing the absurd and approaching ….. WTF!
May 29th, 2008 at 3:11 pmEvery time I see McCain speak, I am reminded of the old Asian movies where the characters lips move but different words are coming out. LOL, surely nobody can be taking McCain seriously right?
JJ
May 29th, 2008 at 3:14 pmOnline Privacy When it Counts
I love this. Clinton and Obama make it back for key votes while being engaged in a very serious, knock down, drag out primary battle. Yet, we have McCain so busy while running as the presumptive nominee of his party with absolutely no opposition on his side of the aisle. The DNC needs to start running some ads on this now.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:16 pmMcCain actually should have answered: I didn’t want to destroy the environment taking my wife’s personal jet back to congress to vote for a bill to save the environment.
Alas
May 29th, 2008 at 3:16 pmin fact, now that I think of it, a great environmental bill would allow Congresspeople to vote from home. Why shouldn’t they be able to vote by text message???
May 29th, 2008 at 3:18 pmHas this guy stuck to ANY of his original policies besides MORE WARS and LESS JOBS? My head hurts trying to keep track.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:20 pmJudging by the headlines, John McCain’s global warming pitch this month is having the desired effect. While CNN announced that “McCain appeals to independents with environment pitch,” the Wall Street Journal declared, “McCain woos Democrats on environment.” With Americans’ support for President Bush and the direction of the country at record lows, John McCain is running away from his party and his president by stressing the environment, the only substantive issue on which he and George W. Bush disagree.
For the details, see:
May 29th, 2008 at 3:24 pm“McCain’s Environmental Smoke Screen.”
Skipping the vote on this bill, last week, it was on the vote for the improved GI Bill.
Is McPutz going to skip votes on EVERYTHING until November?
On the other hand, if he DOES skip every vote, there is NO record of McPutz being against anything, is there?
May 29th, 2008 at 3:26 pmThe only change McIIIrd knows for sure is how to change Depends.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:26 pmGrampy McSame reminds me of that old joke about the Frenchman who was in a tavern when a mob of people rushed by outside.
He asked the barkeep about the mob, and then excused himself by saying, “Merde! But I must go – that mob — you see, I am their leader!”
May 29th, 2008 at 3:30 pmMy friends, I support fighting climate change. I will demonstrate that support by being somewhere else. I will lead in this fight. I will lead from way, way in the back. I will lead so effectively you won’t even know I’m there. Wait, I’m against this, so I’ll fight it now. Wait, what am I supposed to say now??? (Attendants come up and quietly carry the candidate away).
May 29th, 2008 at 3:34 pmImpeach Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution.
Abu Ben Hussein Leporello.
Why should he break his record of missing more votes than almost anyone else now?
A do as little as possible senator trying to be more of a do nothing president than the current one.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:35 pmThe old coot is banking on Americans’ short-term memory problem. Lucky for republicans that most Americans can’t remember past a few months. Sad for the rest of us.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:35 pmMcsame the undisputed expert on snowjobs .
May 29th, 2008 at 3:37 pmGrampy McSame says – My friends back in the day we all would skip, yes, skip to the lou, we would hold skipping picnics, but sometimes the climate would change and that would ruin our skipping picnic, we would thing get under some shelter and skip there, I was the best skipper, I really loved skipping, why my first mate, Gilligan would skip with me, Mary Ann, Ginger, the Professor, we all loved it, why I once made a radio out of a coconut and a banana, by skipping stuff we can all see climate change, from cloudy to sunny, skipping all the other stuff…oops, I skipped too hard again, that feels like mac cheese in my pants, all warm and skippy.
Your mind has skipped out on you grampy.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:37 pmI wonder how soon we’ll be hearing republicans blaming democrats for being weak on the environment.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:39 pmFlip flop
May 29th, 2008 at 3:41 pmSkip lots
Let’s see now…
McCan’t voted, 2007, 100% with Bush’s agenda.
McCan’t doesn’t want to be ‘associated’ with Bush.
McCan’t held two fundraisers in 2 days with Bush.
Both fundraisers with Bush had to be changed to anonymous sites.
McCan’t can’t go back to D.C. to vote on an issue he ’supports’.
McCan’t go make it to D.C., but wants to go back to Iraq.
McCan’t wants Obama to go with him to Iraq.
Obama is in D.C., voting on important issues.
McCan’t is the ’soldier’ candidate.
McCan’t didn’t support an upgraded G.I. Bill.
Obama didn’t serve in the military.
Obama made it back to D.C. to vote on the G.I. Bill.
Who’s bullshitting who here, people?
John Sidney McCan’t III – Change Republicans DESERVE.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:42 pmSo now he won’t support this bill because it doesn’t offer enough aid to the nuclear industry? Gee…$154 billion isn’t enough?
WASHINGTON, DC – The leaders of six national environmental and public interest groups warned today that the impending Lieberman-Warner climate change bill could contain at least $544 billion in taxpayer subsidies for nuclear energy. This would represent the biggest federal handout in history for the nuclear industry, already the most heavily subsidized energy sector over the past 50 years.
The Lieberman-Warner bill is expected to be on the Senate floor in early June. According to an analysis conducted by Friends of the Earth, the bill contains close to half a trillion dollars that can be accessed by the nuclear energy industry under a vaguely entitled category for “zero and low carbon energy technologies.” Nuclear is the only energy industry that could fall under this category that does not have a specific carve elsewhere; funding for renewable energy is identified separately in the bill.
“Although the word ‘nuclear’ has been carefully omitted from the bill, it is clear that this is a covert attempt to bolster a failing nuclear power industry in the name of addressing climate change,” said Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth. “It’s time to focus on real global warming solutions like solar, wind and energy efficiency, not to further fatten the moribund nuclear calf.”
http://action.foe.org/pressRelease.jsp?press_release_KEY=371
Take a look at what the lifetime scorecard is for all three candidates: McCain: 26%, Clinton 90%, Obama 96%
http://www.presidentialprofiles2008.org/
May 29th, 2008 at 3:46 pmWHEN is someone in the MSM (LOL…) just going to come straight out and call him a LIAR????
This old man can’t remember from day-to-day what he is much less what he THINKS he stands for….What crap….
May 29th, 2008 at 3:49 pmJ. Sidney McCoot, The Last, and his Sidewinder Express. Pee you, what a phony little stinker you are. If you gets more than 20% in the November Presidential Election, I will be amazed.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:55 pmBe fair, if he moves too fast he could break a hip.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:56 pmmiatch Says:
in fact, now that I think of it, a great environmental bill would allow Congresspeople to vote from home. Why shouldn’t they be able to vote by text message???
McFlintstone might hafta resort to a smoke signal or pony express or something.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:01 pmThe comment I made #25 at 3:46 pm is “awaiting moderation.” First time this has happened to me (no bad language either). Can you all see it?
May 29th, 2008 at 4:06 pmI’m not sure we want to encourage a yes vote for this bill. If it is the bill I think it is, it is nothing more than a giant gift to the nuclear industry. One has to be suspicious of any “environmental” bill that is introduced by Lieberman (I) and Warner (R).
May 29th, 2008 at 4:08 pmWhich is more astounding?
The contempt he holds for his job by missing votes because he’s campaigning against himself?
or
His valiant efforts to contradict EVERY statement he’s EVER made about EVERYTHING?
Either way, it sure displays a total lack of integrity. And that’s before one considers all the “questionable” relationships with his “Legion of Lobbyists”(TM). I can’t wait to see the general election ads. I sure hope the Dems are smart enough to bombard the sheeple with his own words deeds.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:17 pmHey Folks, cut Johnny Boy some slack here! I just heard he has switched to the “Green” version of Depends. Doing his part for the environment.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:24 pmOn his campaign website, McCain (R-AZ) calls himself “a leader on the issue of global warming,” which he says is “an issue we can no longer afford to ignore.
McCain isn’t a leader of anything. He’s nothing more than a Bush follower.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
May 29th, 2008 at 4:35 pmDespite Claims Of Being A ‘Leader’ On The Issue, McCain Plans To Skip Vote On Landmark Climate Change Bill»
May 29th, 2008 at 5:09 pmThis way he can impress, the only ones that really matter to him, his base.
Who is McCain trying to fool?
Is it just me, or is there a lot of McCain saying that so and so is an extremely important vote – and then missing the vote ?
May 29th, 2008 at 5:14 pmSo now he won’t support this bill because it doesn’t offer enough aid to the nuclear industry? Gee…$154 billion isn’t enough?
WASHINGTON, DC – The leaders of six national environmental and public interest groups warned today that the impending Lieberman-Warner climate change bill could contain at least $544 billion in taxpayer subsidies for nuclear energy. This would represent the biggest federal handout in history for the nuclear industry, already the most heavily subsidized energy sector over the past 50 years.
The Lieberman-Warner bill is expected to be on the Senate floor in early June. According to an analysis conducted by Friends of the Earth, the bill contains close to half a trillion dollars that can be accessed by the nuclear energy industry under a vaguely entitled category for “zero and low carbon energy technologies.” Nuclear is the only energy industry that could fall under this category that does not have a specific carve elsewhere; funding for renewable energy is identified separately in the bill.
“Although the word ‘nuclear’ has been carefully omitted from the bill, it is clear that this is a covert attempt to bolster a failing nuclear power industry in the name of addressing climate change,” said Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth. “It’s time to focus on real global warming solutions like solar, wind and energy efficiency, not to further fatten the moribund nuclear calf.”
http://action.foe.org/ pressRelease.jsp?press_release_KEY=371
You can also check out his score on this website.
http://www.presidentialprofiles2008.org/
May 29th, 2008 at 5:22 pmWhatever happened to all those global warming is a liberal hoax posters. I sort of miss them
May 29th, 2008 at 5:31 pmCalling himself a “Leader on the issue” he continues to cite his ignorance in making important 180 degree policy shifts…
May 29th, 2008 at 5:39 pmwhat a perfect little hypocrite he is. I don’t know, guys, looks like he’s got what it takes to be the next chimpy.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:55 pmZimzone Says:
Let’s see now…
McCan’t voted, 2007, 100% with Bush’s agenda.
McCan’t doesn’t want to be ‘associated’ with Bush.
McCan’t held two fundraisers in 2 days with Bush.
Both fundraisers with Bush had to be changed to anonymous sites.
McCan’t can’t go back to D.C. to vote on an issue he ’supports’.
McCan’t go make it to D.C., but wants to go back to Iraq.
McCan’t wants Obama to go with him to Iraq.
Obama is in D.C., voting on important issues.
McCan’t is the ’soldier’ candidate.
McCan’t didn’t support an upgraded G.I. Bill.
Obama didn’t serve in the military.
Obama made it back to D.C. to vote on the G.I. Bill.
Who’s bullshitting who here, people?
John Sidney McCan’t III – Change Republicans DESERVE.
wow, now what we need to do is pass this along to everyone as they prepare to go in the voting booths!
May 29th, 2008 at 5:57 pm.
So this makes how many votes that Johnny McVote-Skipper has missed?
.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:01 pmFrom #36
It’s called being a coward.
How many times in the last 7 yrs have we heard the Repigs demanding an “up or down vote”? When they get the chance – they find an escape hatch.
May 30th, 2008 at 12:56 am