Congressman Altmire hearts McCain

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Salena Zito

[Salena Zito]

Congressman Altmire hearts McCain PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Salena Zito

Rep. Jason Altmire, whose congressional district went overwhelmingly for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the six-week primary that was Pennsylvania, kind of likes Republican presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain’s proposal to invest in nuclear energy and clean coal.

Here is the statement that he released today on McCain’s proposal to construct 45 nuclear reactors by 2030 and spend $2 billion a year in federal funding on clean coal.

“I have always been a strong supporter of nuclear energy and clean coal technology, and I welcome Senator McCain’s announcement today that he is committed to investing in these industries. Western Pennsylvania’s vast coal resources and strong nuclear industry will be a tremendous source of economic growth for our region and make America more energy independent.”

Altmire, a Democrat who was part of the 2006 midterm sweep of Pennsylvania that turned four red districts blue, represents a decidedly Reagan Democrat constituency. During the Pennsylvania primary, he did not come out and endorse either candidate, and stopped short of a full endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama when he secured the nomination in June.

When the Democratic primary ended, Altmire chose his words carefully by saying he was going to be supportive of the nominee who was chosen by the voters and that a formal endorsement was no longer necessary.

[Cicero]

McCain has flipflopped on energy issues, one minute calling for carbon caps, the next minute calling for penalizing “Big Oil,” the next minute calling for summer tax relief at the pumps.

But with this latest comment he seems to have gotten it right. Maybe he has at least a grain of sense in there somewhere, or maybe he’s just trying one thing after another until he finds something that resonates with the voters.

How about ANWR and a mandate offshore drilling?