OMG, did he flip flop twice in three days?
June 19, 2008, 6:42 pm
McCain Reiterates Opposition to Drilling in Wildlife Refuge
By Michael Cooper and Elisabeth Bumiller
MINNEAPOLIS — Senator John McCain reiterated his opposition to drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday, a day after his statement that he would be willing to “go back and look at it again” sparked speculation among both opponents and proponents of drilling that he might change his mind.
“My position has not changed,’’ Mr. McCain said here on his campaign bus.
“People have said to me, ‘I’m going to bring you new information about ANWR, how environmentally we can make it safe,’” he said. “I’ll be glad to
accept new information but my position has not changed.’’
Mr. McCain did change his position this week by proposing lifting the moratorium on off-shore drilling – in which he was quickly seconded by President Bush – but he said his position on drilling the the wildlife refuge was unchanged.
“One reason why I’m now far more in favor of off shore drilling is the price of oil,’’ he said. But he said that he did not believe that the price was so high that he would reconsider his position on drilling in the wildlife refuge.
“No, but again, if somebody says, ‘will you look at this information,’ that the guy stood up at the town hall meeting, `I know how you can make it environmentally and totally safe,’ I’ll be glad to look at that information,’’ he said. “I think it’s incumbent on me to review it. But I certainly haven’t changed my position.”
Here is the exchange, at a town hall-style meeting Wednesday at Missouri State University in Springfield, that sparked all the speculation.
A member of the audience asked: “I wanted to know, Senator, what would have to change for you to support the going after what some say is as low as ten and as high as twenty billion gallons of oil in ANWR, doing it safely and ecologically, and certainly for providing for the caribou?”
Mr. McCain responded: “I’ll be glad to review over time in light of changing world events on any issue. But I also believe that the ANWR is a pristine place and if they found oil in the Grand Canyon, I don’t think I’d drill in the Grand Canyon.’’
After a question from another audience member, the man followed up, asking, “under what circumstances could we do this in an ecological manner that would really let us take advantage of quite a bit of oil out there?’’
Mr. McCain responded: “I don’t know how you take advantage of it in an ecological manner, and that’s one of the reasons why I have opposed it. But as I say, I will look at all policies that I have in light of this changed economic environment and the challenge to the United States of America. And I will go back and look at it again, and I’ve looked at it many times, and I will be more than happy to examine it again. But right now, and for that matter for a long period of time, that’s my position.’’ |
