McCain Offers `More of the Same' on Energy Policy, Corzine Says
By William McQuillen
June 29 (Bloomberg) -- John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee for president, offers ``more of the same'' energy policy as George W. Bush while gas prices rise to record levels, Jon Corzine, New Jersey's Democratic governor, said today.
Appearing on CNN's ``Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer,'' Corzine said McCain focused too much on new oil drilling rather than advocating conservation and alternate sources of energy. The U.S.'s ``addiction of oil'' undermines the country's national and financial security, Corzine said.
``Barack Obama has a very clear plan on that, and it contrasts very sharply with what I think are sort of long-term gimmick and short-term gimmick programs like gas tax holiday and offshore drilling,'' Corzine said.
McCain this month abandoned his prior support for the federal ban on offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, saying such decisions should be left to the states. Supporters of Democratic candidate Barack Obama have been highlighting the Republican candidate's shift of position.
McCain's supporters today countered that drilling would increase U.S. consumers' optimism, resulting in lower oil costs.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, California's Republican governor, said he supports McCain for president although they disagree on offshore drilling. Appearing on NBC's ``Meet the Press,'' Schwarzenegger said McCain has a strong record in support of the environment and would make fighting global warming a priority.
``I'm 100 percent behind him,'' Schwarzenegger said. ``That we don't agree on everything, that's clear; nor do I with my wife. I mean, it doesn't mean that we should split, it just means that we don't agree on certain things.''
`Safe, Stable, Clean'
The U.S. is ``going to either become more and more dependent on foreign sources of energy, or we're going to be able to secure our nation and drill domestically for safe, stable, clean supplies of energy that we have here,'' Sarah Palin, the Republican governor of Alaska, said on Fox News. ``We have them in Alaska.''
The U.S. should be wary of looking to drill in environmentally sensitive areas, Dave Freudenthal, Wyoming's Democratic governor, said on ``Meet the Press.'' The next president should look toward coal, nuclear and wind power for alternative energy, he said.
``The problem with McCain is just -- it's an extension of the short-sighted, one-legged stool approach to energy that this administration's had,'' Freudenthal said. ``Their answer to everything is drill for oil and gas.'' |
