McCain Defends Support for Offshore Oil Drilling in California
By Edwin Chen
June 24 (Bloomberg) -- Republican John McCain is campaigning in California to tout his environmental credentials and instead has found himself on the defensive over his proposal to let states allow oil exploration off the U.S. coast.
``When people are hurting, and struggling to afford gasoline, food, and other necessities, common sense requires that we draw upon America's own vast reserves of oil and natural gas,'' McCain said today.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee spoke at the Museum of Natural History in Santa Barbara, a coastal city about 100 miles north of Los Angeles where a massive offshore oil spill in 1969 helped spur the rise of the modern environmental movement.
While McCain didn't specifically mention his reversal on coastal oil drilling in his speech, which focused on his proposals to cut emissions linked to global warming, the subject intruded on his agenda during his two-day swing in the state.
McCain's position may cost him votes in California, which hasn't gone for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush, the current president's father, won there in 1988. The state is the most populous in the U.S. and has the biggest trove of electoral votes -- 55 of the 270 needed to win the presidency. McCain's Democratic opponent, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, has criticized his new stance, arguing that more drilling has greater risks than benefits.
Bipartisan Opposition
Opposition to offshore drilling has bipartisan support in California, including Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has endorsed McCain even as he opposes opening the coast to drilling.
At a Fresno town-hall meeting yesterday, McCain was asked why he would allow oil production offshore while continuing to oppose drilling in the Arctic Wildlife National Refuge. He said the refuge was ``pristine'' and that offshore drilling now is a safer than four decades ago.
``I envision they would be somewhat further offshore, but that would be, again, a decision by the people of this state,'' he said.
He also was challenged at a fundraiser last night in Santa Barbara, where he told Republicans they can't afford to write off the state in national elections.
`Natural Beauty'
``Santa Barbara has among other things a great natural beauty -- one of our great natural beauties lies before you out there to the south,'' a member of the audience, Dan Secord, told McCain as he gestured toward the Pacific Ocean.
``We're really kind of goosey here about oil spills, and we're goosey here about federal drilling and oil lands, which are abundant offshore,'' said Secord, an alternate member of the California Coastal Commission appointed by Schwarzenegger.
McCain supported the federal moratorium on offshore drilling in his failed 2000 bid for the Republican presidential nomination. The Arizona senator, 71, reversed himself last week, saying the decision should be left to the states.
He said his view had changed because of the impact of soaring gasoline prices on consumers and the country's continuing reliance on foreign oil.
Even as average retail gasoline prices in California exceed $4.50 a gallon, the consensus in the state against coastal exploration is holding. Schwarzenegger was quoted in today's Los Angeles Times as saying: ``We made a decision a while back to say no drilling off our shores in California, and we are serious about that and we're not going to change that, no matter who is recommending other things.''
Global Warming
In his Santa Barbara speech, McCain said that any steps the country takes to ensure energy security must also take into account the effects of global warming.
``The facts of global warming demand our urgent attention, especially in Washington. Good stewardship, prudence, and simple common sense demand that we act to meet the challenge, and act quickly,'' McCain said.
Among those steps, he said, are increased reliance on nuclear power and greater development of energy from wind, biofuels and the sun. The government can lead the way by requiring that all of the 60,000 vehicles purchased each year by the federal government be capable of running on biofuels, natural gas or hybrid technology, he said.
From Santa Barbara, McCain flew to Southern California for two fundraisers, in Riverside and Newport Beach. |
