‘Coal Booster’ McCain Would ‘Put Coal Out Of Business’
‘Coal Booster’ McCain Would ‘Put Coal Out Of Business’
Speaking before a crowd at the University of Scranton, PA, Sunday afternoon, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) gave himself a new title, “coal booster“:
My friends, you know what Senator Obama said about a year ago, he said he had not been a, quote, coal booster. My friends, I’ve been a coal booster and it’s going to create jobs, and we’re going to export coal to other countries and we are going to create hundreds of thousands of jobs. That’s going to help restore the economy of the great state of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
McCain is challenging the idea that fighting global warming will require real change in this nation’s coal industry. In fact, our coal-fired power plants, which produce about 49 percent of U.S. electricity, account for 83 percent of power-sector global warming emissions. As Al Gore has said, “When the use of oil and coal goes up, pollution goes up.”
When McCain was busy crafting his maverick stance on the climate crisis, he understood this too. On June 21, 2005, McCain said his global warming legislation would require “sacrifice“:
Does it involve some sacrifice on the part of the American people? Yes.
In an eloquent speech on the Senate floor, McCain went on to mock his critics:
When we talk about jobs, these Draconian estimates of lost jobs that they have hired some think tank to come up with, what about the jobs and the economic effect on the United States of America that is already taking place when we have four hurricanes in one season in Florida; when we have greater and more extreme climatic effects generated by greenhouse gas emissions? How much is it going to cost when the great barrier reef dies? The Australian Government has said that the great barrier reef will die by–I think the year is 2040. What happens then to the food chain? What is the cost then? [...]
This amendment, I am sure, will be attacked — thousands of jobs will be lost, we will find some obscure scientist, some will talk about the dangers of encouraging the use of nuclear power. The fact is, we are going to win on this issue. The reason we are going to win is because every single month there is another manifestation of the terrible effects of what climate change is doing to our Earth. The problem is how late will it be when we win?
During the 2005 debate, Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) was one such critic: “It is my understanding that the amendment, according to Charles River Associates, which analyzed its provisions, would cause the loss of 24,000 to 47,000 Ohio jobs in 2010. … The McCain amendment will put coal out of business.” Three years later — after unprecedented wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts — McCain has abandoned his brave stand. Instead, with the help of those of the far right he once challenged, he is now putting polluters first.
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John the Coal Booster… I like it!
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:31 amI hope he does. CLEAN energy already.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:33 amShorter McCain: Whimper…
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:36 amJohn, why don’t you pass the time until election by playing some solitaire?
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:37 amHe and his daddy george are cut from the same cloth.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:38 amSimply one more example of how he is quite willing to abandon every principle he has in order to get elected. This is “honorable?”
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 amCoal is just another fossil fuel. Haven’t we learned our lesson about those yet?
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 amMr’ Peabody ?
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:47 amThe debate brought to you by ?
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 amWhen he gets sent back to the Senate tomorrow, I hope he goes back to being the old John McCain who cared…
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 amPolitical gymnastics keep John limber . Quick someone hand him a baby .
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:53 am“the great state of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania”
We’re just the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” We’re not a state.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:58 amMcCain: “..and we’re going to export coal to other countries and we are going to create hundreds of thousands of jobs.”
Export coal where? China? Cuba?
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:00 amYeah, hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas…
Me likes coal. Me live in cave. Me drag womens around by hair, ONLY WOMENS WIF BIG BOOBS, and pick nose for snack.
Me name McGrog.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:00 amMcBane looks good in the hard hat and safety glasses. He should wear them more often on the stump.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:01 amMcCain: “..and we’re going to export coal to other countries
CREATING AN ECONOMIC BOOST TO THE 3RD WORLD WHILE LINING THE POCKETS OF THE ALREADY CRIMINALLY PROFITABLE OIL/GAS INDUSTRY WITH NO PAYBACK TO THE AMERICAN CONSUMER.
Whatever McIIIrd, Cheney will not have to kill your hamster now.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:04 amSurvival of the human species will put politics out of business ,most likely too late .
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:09 amI’d really like to see McCain ‘08 run against McCain ‘00. Now THOSE would be some debates worth watching! Damn these unidirectional trousers of time!
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:13 amfreeman Says:
Survival of the human species will put politics out of business ,most likely too late .
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:09 am
Nah…Too much money to be made in the collapse…
It ought to be noted that Obama, too, is an advocate for BOTH “Clean Coal” (an oxymoron of absolutely STAGGERING proportions) and ethanol fuels…
Both of which are spurs to increased carbon emissions…
The cockroaches and rats will survive, but little else
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 amstewarjt Says:
McBane looks good in the hard hat and safety glasses. He should wear them more often on the stump.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:01 am
_______
Seriously. Why isn’t this a “Dukakis Moment?” Do these guys not look equally as ridiculous in “DRILL NOW” hardhats and suits?
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 amGive him a pick and put him in a mining cart.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:21 amClean coal OWNS this debate and the parties are paid for by the telecoms .
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:25 amChange we need ! If you have on your hard hats , turn on the little light in the front .It’s awfully dark in this shaft .
Nevar,
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:30 amDon’t worry about John’s selling our coal to China , after they get done using it, it drifts across the pacific and ends up back on the west coast of the US .
just so you know, they are still fighting for the FutureGen project here in illinois… it probably will have a better chance if obama is elected…
this was in my local paper saturday:
Coal-plant backers see new hope in a new president
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-futuregen-newhope,0,50849.story
lots of coal in illinois too…
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:31 amWhat about the coal industry in your home state of Arizona, McCain?
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:33 amYou know, up there on the Navajo Reservation… what about the belching dirty smoke from the power plants, the polluted wells, the grinding poverty, the long history of environmental degradation and ignoring the health and well being of the people you exploit?
How come you’re not campaigning in Window Rock?
John? Are you there?
John?
This sounds like a job for …HOMELAND SECURITY…!
Obviously, we’re going to have to erect a wall to keep out the noxious Commie smog.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 amKaty
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:37 amthanx for the article , I was not born a cynic , I’ve had to work at it .
“Say Anything” McCain, the socialist, is promising Floridians checks for drilling off shore there. And he’s talking about building 40 safe nuclear plants even though the storage or reprocessing for spent fuel doesn’t exist yet.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:41 amBut which one will use these short term aids to guide us to clean energy independence?
mccain…..I don’t think so.
Obama, I believe he will.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:50 amStrange I received an email this AM stating that Obama would kill the coal industry.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:18 amPalin is in Ohio saying that the media is covering up Obama’s threat to kill the coal industry.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:21 amI think that whichever candidate wins this election, global poverty needs to be one of the top issues on the agenda that he has. According to The Borgen Project:
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.
$540 billion: Annual U.S. Defense Budget.
obama should put coal out of business, too.
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:02 pmYes, that is correct. Obama is on the record as having stated he will kill the coal industry. (Jan 2008 — SF Gate) Read into it (i.e., spin it) any which way you will.
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:23 pm