Obama slams McCain's energy policy

(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama blasted Sen. John McCain's energy plans Tuesday as "gimmicks," saying his policies "will only increase our oil addiction for another four years."

"What Washington has done is what Washington always does: It's peddled false promises, irresponsible policy and cheap gimmicks that might get politicians through the next election but won't lead America toward the next generation of renewable energy," Obama said in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"For decades, John McCain has been a part of this failure in Washington."


Obama commended McCain for speaking out on climate change but said that "time and time again, he has opposed investing in the alternative sources of energy that have helped fuel some of the very same projects and businesses that he's now highlighting in this campaign."

Obama praised McCain's push to develop a better car battery but added, "I've been talking about this myself for the last few years."

He also criticized McCain's proposal to offer a $300 million prize to whoever is able to develop a suitable battery.

"When John F. Kennedy decided that we were going to put a man on the moon, he didn't put a bounty out for some rocket scientist to win -- he put the full resources of the United States government behind the project and called on the ingenuity and innovation of the American people -- not just in the private sector but also in the public sector."

McCain's campaign said its plan would lead to both short-term and long-term benefits.


In a conference call after Obama's speech, McCain's campaign called the Democratic candidate the "Dr. No on energy security."

"Today, it was 'no' on the $300 million for a new kind of battery. Before, it was 'no' on ... the possibility of further exploration off our coasts. It was 'no' on gas tax relief that can help -- this summer -- families that are hurting. It was 'no' on expanded nuclear power investments that we can make. We think we are seeing a pattern here," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said.

Obama said his energy plan would include taxing profits from oil companies and using that money to help families pay their energy bills.

He also said he would "close the loophole that allows corporations like Enron to engage in unregulated speculation that ends up artificially driving up the price of oil."

Obama said he would raise the fuel standards and invest $150 billion over the next 10 years in alternate sources of energy.

"My entire energy plan will produce three times the oil savings that John McCain's ever could -- and what's more, it will actually decrease our dependence on oil while his will only grow our addiction further," he said.

McCain told voters Tuesday that energy efficiency "should begin at home" and proposed that the federal government purchase more environmentally friendly vehicles.

Obama slams McCain's energy policy - CNN.com

And the real solution is much more complex. We are part of that solution,ask not only what your country can do to solve the energy crisis,ask what you can do to conserve and foster less reliance on fossil fuels.I'm happy that McCain and Obama are at least attempting to address this important issue.

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins

If anyone is offering gimicks it's Obama.

We all should oppose using taxpayer hard earned dollars to fund "alternative energy" schemes funding by politicians looking to pander to the public.

Everyone has been talking about car batteries for years, what makes Obama so special about it. Why hasn't he made one yet?

Showing his ignorance. Yes they did, they bid it out with the winner getting the spoils.

He put the full resources of Bell, Martin Mariette, Boeing and host of other private American companies behind it. It was the contractors who came up with how to do it and how to build it NOT the government.


Who does he think he is taking the money from in the first place? Who is he to rob my retirement funds in order to pander to voters with promises of free energy?

What loopholes? More platitudes which the liberal masses take down hook line and sinker.

More phoney government schemes.

Of course he offeres nothing to back up these assertions.

Do you Obama supporters really buy all this stuff?

Yep, sure do...you see, you would have to have an "open mind"...everyone knows that Republicans and conservatives only have an "open wallet", meaning "put money in it"....greed and corporate welfare would be the hallmark of "the Right".
Heck, if Obama is so clueless and off base...then he won't win in November, and you can party like it's 1999. Stop whining about it all. Shut up and adopt a wait and see attitude. Using up all the oxygen.

Another "I know you are but what am I?" response from you...


The reasons for funding alternative energy have nothing to do with "pandering to the public".
The reasons they are a good idea are the reasons BOTH politicians AND the public want them.

But you have no legitimate response ON THE ISSUE, so you throw out a meaningless "pander to the public" claim...


Let's try to rephrase that and see if your criticism is just as valid...
Everyone has been talking about car batteries for years, what makes McCain so special about it. Why hasn't he made one yet?

Yeah. That's right.
Your criticism is just as valid against McCain...



You're missing the point.
The GOVERNMENT was IN CHARGE of the affair.
The GOVERNMENT was the body that was deciding WHO and WHERE to allocate the resources.

All McCain has done is offer up a prize to whoever might hit the target, and then hope that somebody does. But he has done NOTHING to actually HELP people to hit the target. NO LEADERSHIP.
Whereas with the moon effort, there WAS leadership in LEADING and MANAGING the effort.


To put this in perspective, would we have reached the moon if Kennedy had just said "I'm going to put up a $XX million dollar prize to whoever gets us to the moon"?
NO.

We PAID the contractors in advance.
We REVIEWED the contractor's plans.
We SUPERVISED their efforts.



"rob your retirement funds"?
What an interesting way to put "raising taxes".

So I guess by that logic, we could say that Bush is "robbing the retirement funds" of our kids, when his plans defer the payments of our debt onto them, right?


No. Just you still not having a clue what other people are saying.
oil unregulated speculation loopholes - Google Search


It's amazing how much you talk, but say absolutely nothing.