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McCain Assails Obama Over Offshore Drilling
News Radio1290/Reuters ^ | August 7, 2008

Posted on 08/07/2008 4:23:10 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

LIMA, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain poured scorn on his Democratic rival Barack Obama on Thursday for failing to match his commitment to drilling off U.S. coasts for oil and natural gas.

Speaking at a town hall meeting, he returned repeatedly to a theme that has moved to center stage this week in an increasingly bitter contest between the two candidates. The issue could be critical to the November 4 election to succeed President George W. Bush.

McCain says he wants an "all-of-the-above" approach to solving U.S. energy problems, which have seen gas prices rise to more than $4 a gallon before falling back.

He advocates a range of measures including building more nuclear power plants by 2030, developing clean coal as well as wind and solar power and wants Congress to rescind a ban on fresh drilling off U.S. coasts.

Energy is particularly important in Ohio because the traditional battleground state where Republicans and Democrats are evenly matched is one of the nation's largest producers of coal.

"Obama says he wants energy independence but he's opposed to new drilling at home. He's opposed to nuclear power. He said the high cost of gasoline doesn't bother him it only rose too quickly. Tell that to the people who are driving the oldest automobiles," McCain said to applause.

Obama claims McCain has misrepresented his plans on energy for political gain but Republicans see the issue as one on which they have an advantage because of shifting voter sentiment in favor of drilling near the U.S. coastlines.

McCain apparently backed away on Tuesday from his campaign's criticism of Obama for saying that inflating tires to the correct pressure could increase fuel efficiency, but in Lima he returned to the point.

"Obama's claiming that putting air in your tires is the equivalent of new offshore drilling. That's not an energy plan my friends. That's a public service announcement," McCain said.

"We need to drill offshore here and now. When we exploit and find these new reserves of oil it will reduce the price of a barrel of oil. That's just a fact. When you increase supply the price of whatever it is will go down," he said.

McCain also attempted to link the issue of offshore drilling to what he says is Obama's inexperience and vacillation over key policy issues compared to his own forthrightness.

"Obama might be a little bit confused. Yesterday, he accused me of having President Bush's policies on energy. That's odd because he voted for the president's energy bill and I voted against it," McCain said.

"I know he hasn't been in the Senate that long but even in the real world voting for something means you support it and voting against something means you oppose it," McCain said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; Politics/Elections; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: 2008; drillheredrillnow; drilling; election; electionpresident; elections; energy; issues; mccain; obama; oh2008
Attack!!
1 posted on 08/07/2008 4:23:10 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It does no harm for McCain to change his mind on this. Nothing new.

But Bambi? that’s a different story. the Democrats have dug themselves in waaay too deep on the “Just Say No” strategy to ever be able to flip-flop. Their own wacko base will kill-em!


2 posted on 08/07/2008 4:27:15 PM PDT by digger48
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Barry O has got the dough,
His camp has fooled his masses
But what we want B.O. to know
Is that he can kiss our @-—$!


3 posted on 08/07/2008 4:28:50 PM PDT by meandog (please pray for future President McCain, day minus 143 and counting)))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

McCain at least has found some issue to beat Obama on. This is a great issue that puts Obama in a tough spot. Piss off the environmental whackos in his base and drive million of votes to Nader, or go against 70% of the voters on a key issue.


4 posted on 08/07/2008 4:30:31 PM PDT by Always Right (Obama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The SS McCain fires the Big Guns.
If you want $10/gal, Vote No Oilbama.

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters


5 posted on 08/07/2008 4:31:14 PM PDT by bray (Drill Congress!!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Last line pretty zingy. Those who thought McCain would run a kid gloves campaign may have spoken too soon.


6 posted on 08/07/2008 4:31:24 PM PDT by karnage
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To: digger48
But Bambi? that’s a different story. the Democrats have dug themselves in waaay too deep on the “Just Say No” strategy to ever be able to flip-flop. Their own wacko base will kill-em!

Never underestimate the ability of Dems to show no shame in flip-flopping on an issue. It is a great thing that Nader is in the race though, the wackos have a place to go.

7 posted on 08/07/2008 4:32:16 PM PDT by Always Right (Obama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
...an increasingly bitter contest between the two candidates...

And Barry appears to be the clinger.

8 posted on 08/07/2008 4:34:29 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer (The democRATS are near the tipping point.)
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To: Always Right
It is a great thing that Nader is in the race though, the wackos have a place to go.

I thought Cythia McKinney was the Green Party Candidate? Is Nader hanging on to HER nasty-@ss. Even the Loons know SHE'S a Loon.

9 posted on 08/07/2008 4:35:17 PM PDT by digger48
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To: digger48

Nader, still in the presidential ring, sees in Obama a decline in ‘fortitude’

Low-income Americans, civil rights activists ‘expect more of him,’ says the longtime consumer advocate, pursuing his fifth bid for the White House.
By David Cook | Staff Writer / August 6, 2008 edition

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader charged that Democrat Barack Obama has developed a “fortitude gap” and would not make the kind of president that civil rights veterans had worked to make possible.

At a Monitor-sponsored breakfast with reporters on Wednesday, Mr. Nader also predicted his own White House bid would be much stronger than his 2004 campaign, in which he garnered 0.38 percent of the national vote.

The longtime consumer advocate spoke the day after the release of an Associated Press-Ipsos national poll showing him with support from 3 percent of likely voters. Senator Obama led with 47 percent, while the GOP’s Sen. John McCain was favored by 41 percent.

Support for his fifth bid for president “will be much greater than” in 2004, Nader predicted. In the last presidential election, “the Democrats filed 24 lawsuits in 18 states in 12 weeks to get us off the ballot and harassed our petitioners. So we didn’t get on a lot of ballots.” The ticket of Nader and vice-presidential candidate Matt Gonzales, a civil rights attorney from San Francisco, will be on 45 state ballots this November, he said.

Earlier this year, Nader called Obama “a person of substance” and “the first liberal evangelist in a long time.” But Wednesday morning, his assessment of the first-term senator from Illinois was critical.

“All these candidates of the major parties know far more than they act on. And that gap is the fortitude gap. Do they want to demonstrate political courage? Do they want to spend their capital?” Nader said. “Obama has demonstrated a decreasing level of fortitude, a decreasing willingness to spend his capital. I think for the bottom 100 million Americans – low-income whites, blacks, and Latinos – he is not really associated in this town with any comprehensive proposal – economic, political, social. And we expect more of him.”

Nader added, “People who have fought the civil rights battle economically, politically, legally, as we have since the ’50s, would often talk about … would happen if we had an African-American president or chairpersons of major congressional committees. It doesn’t look like it is going to be what we all thought it would be.”


10 posted on 08/07/2008 4:38:07 PM PDT by Always Right (Obama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Photobucket
11 posted on 08/07/2008 4:41:43 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer ("I'm trying to save the planet!" - Nancy Pelosi ..........ROTFLMAO! What a dumbass!)
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To: Always Right

Is he forming a new Party? What’re they calling themselves?

I didn’t figure he’d go away, in fact I’m lovin’ it! Bambi ain’t got many votes he can spare.


12 posted on 08/07/2008 4:43:24 PM PDT by digger48
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"I know he hasn't been in the Senate that long but even in the real world voting for something means you support it and voting against something means you oppose it," McCain said.

YES!!!!! LOLOLOLOL!

13 posted on 08/07/2008 4:43:28 PM PDT by KansasGirl ( b/c Obama is just creepy.)
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To: All

We need a vote
Nazi Pelosi AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov

We need emergency session
President Bush comments@whitehouse.gov
202-456-1111

John Boehner invited McCain to join them
McCain needs to get to Washington where he belongs
It will bring the much needed media attention
http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact/


14 posted on 08/07/2008 4:45:09 PM PDT by mouse1 (GO JOHNNY GO!!)
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To: All

To get an Obama “Energy Plan” Tire Gauge go to: http://www.johnmccain.com/home2.htm

Then click on the tab marked “Obama Tire Gauge”


15 posted on 08/07/2008 4:48:20 PM PDT by Norman Bates (Freepmail me to be part of the McCain List!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This one is by far my favorite. Also, ruined my keyboard...

“Obama’s claiming that putting air in your tires is the equivalent of new offshore drilling. That’s not an energy plan my friends. That’s a public service announcement,” McCain said.

That is freakin’ AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!


16 posted on 08/07/2008 4:57:38 PM PDT by Anti-Hillary (Yo Barry, IF FOR 20 YEARS YOU STAY IN THE PEW, IT'S BECAUSE YOU SHARE THE VIEW!!!!!)
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To: Norman Bates
Just used your link to go to the McCain site. When done I couldn't arrrow back, it just reloads the homepage again. You have to shut down IE and start over.

I made the mistake of donating to the campaign, all I could afford which was little. Never did it before.

Now they won't leave me alone. Mail EVERY day..I send it back so they'll have to pay the postage. That's because they refuse to take me off their list.

Got a call from a Black man (YES. I CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE!) Insisting I contribute MORE. "Don't have it", says I. (He was probably a commissioned telemarketer rather than a volunteer)

The guy began to get belligerent and informed me that John had to raise $31,000,000 by months end!

I responded that if they could get him to quit that stupid grin when he says something serious and people applaud, he wouldn't need as much money. They could also save the postage on the 20 pieces of mail which I and millions of people have thrown away.

This has got to be the goofiest campaign I have ever seen. If he wins, it will be because Obama fails!!!!

17 posted on 08/07/2008 5:11:45 PM PDT by FixitGuy (By their fruits shall ye know them!)
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To: FixitGuy

Sorry to hear that. You might have tried double clicking the back button - sometimes there is a “digital break” you need to skip over to get before the load point. Why are sending back the letters? No one is going to “get” your message by you wasting their postage (and your contribution). There is just too much incoming and outgoing mail. Try calling the campaign if you want to get removed from the list. Direct contact is better to make a point. Letters are for donations.

I’m sorry you’ve had a bad experience.

FRegards


18 posted on 08/07/2008 5:54:56 PM PDT by Norman Bates (Freepmail me to be part of the McCain List!)
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To: FixitGuy

Next time right click on the link then select either open in new tab or open in new window.


19 posted on 08/07/2008 5:55:46 PM PDT by Norman Bates (Freepmail me to be part of the McCain List!)
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