Sometime soon he should introduce a bill to allow exploitation of the shale. Then he can rail against the democrats and Obama for opposing it on the campaign trail.
Oh please! McCain is dedicated to carbon trading schemes and signs on to the GW nonsense. What makes you think he’ll act like a conservative in the general election when he’s trying to court independents and Democrats who don’t like Obama. Get real.
Carbon trading and opening up shale oil for extraction are not inconsistent positions.
In fact, favoring both would fit his (undeserved) "maverick" image quite well, as he's supporting his party on one dimension and opposing it on another. In addtion, both positions appeal to moderates and independents.
McCain has already sent some trial balloons out indicating he favors more domestic oil production. Within the next few weeks, we'll see him come out for it more aggresively.
You heard it here first.