On the stump, Sen. McCain (R-AZ) makes great hay of his support for global warming legislation. And his willingness to take photo-ops in the Everglades and stand in front of green backdrops has convinced some in the political press that McCain is a dyed-in-the-wool environmentalist. At the New York Times, Elisabeth Bumiller says, “On the environment … Mr. McCain has strikingly different views from Mr. Bush.” Joe Klein tells his Time.com audience Bumiller did the “voting public a great service today” with her article. They’re being bamboozled.
On the same day that he is drilling for cash in Texas with his new oilmen buddies, McCain has released a new advertisement trumpeting his global warming bona fides:
John McCain stood up to the president and sounded the alarm on global warming — five years ago. Today, he has a realistic plan that will curb greenhouse gas emissions, a plan that will help grow our economy and protect the environment. Reform. Prosperity. Peace. John McCain.
Watch it:
In truth, McCain’s record on the environment, like Bush’s, is execrable, with a lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters of 26 percent. McCain is demonstrating his willingness to play both sides of the field in releasing the ad the same day he’s making a speech that calls for increasing our addiction to oil — as both the National Journal and CNN noted. And his shining point of differentiation, his willingness to address climate change, is wilting as he embraces Bush’s political machine. McCain can’t be “realistic” about global warming and satisfy Texas oilmen with their “big time money” at the same time. So what is he going to choose?
Five years ago, McCain wasn’t running for president. The energy industry is fueling McCain’s campaign with millions of dollars and dozens of lobbyists in top staff positions — future generations of Americans, not so much.
UPDATE: This — the launch video for 350.org — is what a spot from true climate activists looks like: