Contradictions and misstatements short-circuit McCain's energy policy pronouncements.

[Spike Lee]

McCain has spent the week focusing on energy policy, making some surprising, and inaccurate, statements.

Among them:

* He said that ending a moratorium on offshore oil drilling "would be very helpful in the short term in resolving our energy crisis." But according to a government report, offshore oil wouldn't have much of an impact on supply or prices until 2030. Update, June 24: At a town hall event on June 23, McCain didn't claim that offshore drilling would lower prices in the short term, but that it would provide "psychological impact that I think is beneficial."

* McCain tried to paint Obama as an opponent of nuclear power, yet Obama has said he is open to nuclear energy being part of the solution and has supported bills that contained nuclear subsidies.

* He has soft-pedaled the "cap" portion of his cap-and-trade proposal for greenhouse gases, even denying that it would be a mandate. The cap is a mandatory limit, however, and McCain even says so on his Web site.

* McCain's new ad, running this week, rightly says that he bucked his party in supporting action on climate change years ago. But its images of windmills and solar panels are misleading in that he supports subsidies for nuclear power, which isn't pictured, and opposes them for wind and solar energy.

* McCain continues to say that a suspension of the federal gas tax will lower prices for consumers, though hundreds of economists say he is wrong.

Analysis
Sen. John McCain spent much of the week focusing on energy policy and the pain that drivers are feeling every time they fill their tanks. He outlined his solutions in speeches on Tuesday and Wednesday, and he began running an ad touting his early willingness to break with the GOP on the issue of climate change.


I would post the whole article, but it makes more sense coming from here.
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/mccains_power_outage.html

[Methuser]

In before the thread gets completely off topic because it's hard to argue with facts.

Just as I said when Hillary suggested it. A gas tax holiday will have little impact on the conumers pain at the pump.

What's a few cents off of $4-$5 per gallon gas prices. It's a gimmick. Just like the stimulus checks.

[MissInk]

i don't think a lot of Americans realize how vital the energy crisis actually is. Obama has much stronger and bolder ideas on this platform, and McCain is kind of just appeasing the Green groups it seems like. they can't please everybody, but they try to make a grab at all interest groups at least.

[Mr. Heskey]

Yes and I'm sure Obama's windfall profits tax will just do wonders for the cost of gas!

[Methuser]

In before the thread gets completely off topic because it's hard to argue with facts.Yes and I'm sure Obama's windfall profits tax will just do wonders for the cost of gas!

Case in point. Deflection.

This thread is about John McCain and his energy policies.

[Mr. Heskey]

See what I said. They can't argue the facts. Deflection.

This thread is about JOHN MCCAIN AND HIS ENERGY POLICIES!!

What? I'd 10x rather have Mccain's energy policy than obama's.


Obama has actually proposed placing massive taxes on oil corporations that have 'excessive profits'.


Tax a business and what are they going to do? Transfer it to the consumers. Tell me the logic of that. Yet people bitch when Mccain proposed a gas tax holiday (which I agree won't do much but it's a hell of a lot better than worsening the problem).

[Methuser]

What? I'd 10x rather have Mccain's energy policy than obama's.


Obama has actually proposed placing massive taxes on oil corporations that have 'excessive profits'.


Tax a business and what are they going to do? Transfer it to the consumers. Tell me the logic of that. Yet people bitch when Mccain proposed a gas tax holiday (which I agree won't do much but it's a hell of a lot better than worsening the problem).

Ok heskey I will take this thread completely off the fucking topic on one tiny little detail in order to address what it is you are trying to allude to as far as how "inexperienced and naive" Barack Obama and his "windfall tax" plan is.

If you apply a windfall tax to a company that routinely posts trillions of dollars in profit while also receiving government subsidies and tax breaks (Welfare) and that company then in turn says "fuck you" and raises their prices anyway to further screw customers. Don't you think Barack Obamas plan would include a rule that the company would not be aloud to recoup the taxes by charging their customers. But I digress because I choose to open more than one door at a time while considering the future of a situation. We are not single celled organisms. The human brain is not a subway train headed in one direction. It is possible to actually look further than one avenue or conclusion for any given situation.

Also it was Hillary Clinton who originally proposed the gas tax holiday. And it was a bad idea and a gimmick. Even if it came from Barack Obama or an adorable little panda bear it still would have been a bad idea.

[GALLIENVS AVG]

Ok heskey I will take this thread completely off the fucking topic on one tiny little detail in order to address what it is you are trying to allude to as far as how "inexperienced and naive" Barack Obama and his "windfall tax" plan is.

If you apply a windfall tax to a company that routinely posts trillions of dollars in profit while also receiving government subsidies and tax breaks (Welfare) and that company then in turn says "fuck you" and raises their prices anyway to further screw customers. Don't you think Barack Obamas plan would include a rule that the company would not be aloud to recoup the taxes by charging their customers. But I digress because I choose to open more than one door at a time while considering the future of a situation. We are not single celled organisms. Humans can actually look further than one avenue or conclusion for any given situation. The human brain is not a subway train headed in one direction.

My jaw dropped when I read this. What the FUCK? You actually think Barack can/should be able to control what a company's prices are?

EDIT: Also, stop throwing bitch fits when someone points out the flaws of Barack Messiah Obama's plans.

[Methuser]

You actually think Barack can/should be able to control what a company's prices are?

EDIT: Also, stop throwing bitch fits when someone points out the flaws of Barack Messiah Obama's plans.

This is what you do young buck. You read through the entire post and then you take one sentence to argue about. I've seen it too many times.

Now let me educate you on how the world and it's government work.

Yes the U.S. government especially in the past does control certain aspects of how a giant corporate company treats consumers. It's called regulation. This is why ALL companies have restrictions and processes they must go through in order to merge. This way any one company doesn't become a monopoly. Because if a company becomes a monopoly then that company can charge whatever it wants and there won't be any reason for competitive pricing especially when the product they sale is an essential.

See I figure you were about 8 or 9 before the Bush administration took over this country and began to unfairly manipulate laws and regulations in favor of certain groups and companies.

So I understand you've literally grown up in a corrupt and false government. A lot of us "grown ups" have experience and can remember a time when the U.S. government was actually "for the people, by the people" and if the U.S. government was doing something unethical or wrong we would call them out on it and try to get them to stop.

But in the last 8 years under the Bush administration our country and it's citizens have been twisted, lied to, manipulated, and ignored.

Giant corporate companies that provide an essential service to consumers should not be aloud to charge U.S. citizens whatever price they deem fit. that is an imperialistic monopoly and it is wrong. But since you have literally grown up in this corrupt world you don't have a reference to the way things were before you began caring about more than the power rangers.

Beginning with Bill clintons second term and then with George Bushs entire administration we have seen HMO's and the American health care system become monstorous powerhouses that are full of bureaucracy and pitfalls. We have seen gas prices go from $1.20 to $4.20. while the companies post trillion dollar profits all the while receiving huge tax breaks. We have seen the housing and lending markets blatantly lie to and steal from consumers until the bubble finally busted. We have seen the rich get richer and anyone below them get fucked.

This is all because of deregulation under the Bush administration that actually began with the Clintons final 3 years. Regulations are put in place by our government so that corporate companies don't become imperialistic monsters. Believe me I was very releived that Hillary lost her campaign.

If Barack Obama isn't a complete liar and psycho then I think the future might be a brighter place.

So please go and look at what the opposition has to say with an opened mind before you assume you know what role the government should have in the way a business treats American consumers especially when it comes to essentials and needs.

[chrisvet]

Spike, I'll admit I've grown quite fond of certain websites you often make reference to such as fact check. Its important they consistently call out the he said/she said bullshit going on between McCain / Obama.

Meth, I read you loud and clear, your points are well written, but I still have problems with gov't intervention in the first place. As you probably know, the #1 complaints of companies who outsource are excessive taxation and regulations, hindering their ability to compete on a global market, and lacking the capital for research/dev't that once kept us decades ahead of the rest. I fail to see how this shouldn't be the same with what you consider huge companies.

Why do you think oil companies should be regulated as far as price goes? If they charge too much, wouldn't a natural trend have taken place years ago for free market companies to combat it by sinking capital into other technologies? Just this week alone, I believe world gas demand is down 2.7%, a huge number. I have this feeling that gov't intervention / price caps has forced our dependency on oil, when we could have had numerous other advanced technologies today out of necessity. Thats where my belief in the free market exists, it seeks to bring the best forward out of demand.

* McCain continues to say that a suspension of the federal gas tax will lower prices for consumers, though hundreds of economists say he is wrong.OBama's opposition is right on this one, and its been debated in here before. A short term fix will cost more in the long run and its nothing more than bullshit perks to give the illusion of savings while improving the political image of Hillary / McCain.

[Spike Lee]

This is what you do young buck. You read through the entire post and then you take one sentence to argue about. I've seen it too many times.

Now let me educate you on how the world and it's government work.

Yes the U.S. government especially in the past does control certain aspects of how a giant corporate company treats consumers. It's called regulation. This is why ALL companies have restrictions and processes they must go through in order to merge. This way any one company doesn't become a monopoly. Because if a company becomes a monopoly then that company can charge whatever it wants and there won't be any reason for competitive pricing especially when the product the sale is an essential.

See I figure you were about 8 or 9 before the Bush administration took over this country and began to unfairly manipulate laws and regulations in favor of certain groups and companies.

So I understand you've literally grown up in a corrupt and false government. A lot of us "grown ups" have experience and can remember a time when the U.S. government was actually "for the people, by the people" and if the U.S. government was doing something unethical or wrong we would call them out on it and try to get them to stop.

But in the last 8 years under the Bush administration our country and it's citizens have been twisted, lied to, manipulated, and ignored.

Giant corporate companies that provide an essential service to consumers should not be aloud to charge U.S. citizens whatever price they deem fit. that is an imperialistic monopoly and it is wrong. But since you have literally grown up in this corrupt world you don't have a reference to the way things were before you began caring about more than the power rangers.

Beginning with Bill clintons second term and then with George Bushs entire administration we have seen HMO's and the American health care system become monstorous powerhouses that are full of bureaucracy and pitfalls. We have seen gas prices go from $1.20 to $4.20. while the companies post trillion dollar profits all the while receiving huge tax breaks. We have seen the housing and lending markets blatantly lie to and steal from consumers until the bubble finally busted. We have seen the rich get richer and anyone below them get fucked.

This is all because of deregulation under the Bush administration that actually began with the Clintons final 3 years. Regulations are put in place by our government so that corporate companies don't become imperialistic monsters. Believe me I was very releived that Hillary lost her campaign.

If Barack Obama isn't a complete liar and psycho then I think the future might be a brighter place.

So please go and look at what the opposition has to say with an opened mind before you assume you know what role the government should have in the way a business treats American consumers especially when it comes to essentials and needs.

Actually, I think the courts deemed such actions as unconstitutional when one of the alphabet programs from the New Deal was challenged. Also, price fixing is not regulation.

edit: here is the case

Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States

[MissInk]

nobody seems to realize that any reduction in gas prices by any policy will only be a temporary fix. fossil fuels are an exhaustible resource. it's kind of improbable that we are factually the most oil dependent country in the world, yet we are geographically in one of the worst locations in the world for this kind of dependence because we have so little of this resource domestically. we produce 6,500,000 barrels of crude oil a day and export 12.5% of it. we import 12,500,000 barrels per day, about a third being from Canada and Saudi Arabia, which we're generally friendly with. the other two-thirds is typically from countries that we're not on the best terms with. our oil is depleting while our dependence is increasing. obviously, it costs more to import oil than to cultivate it domestically, thus we will only continue to import more and more and gas prices WILL continue to increase.

alternative fuel sources... RENEWABLE fuel sources... are the only logical solution. it will eliminate the struggle for the last of the meat on the bone. we simply cannot continue our oil dependence at this rate. as supply decreases and demand increases, prices skyrocket. and it has nothing to do with Bush, republicans, the war in Iraq... anything like that. it's simple supply and demand, and i don't see how either of the candidates can begin to magically produce crude oil from their fingertips or something. Obama feigns more interest in alternative fuel sources than McCain... much more. i think that comparing their ideas on reducing the price of gas are irrelevant, since they will both be eventually ineffective.

people are just so short-sighted.

[Mr. Heskey]

If you apply a windfall tax to a company that routinely posts trillions of dollars in profit while also receiving government subsidies and tax breaks (Welfare) and that company then in turn says "fuck you" and raises their prices anyway to further screw customers. Don't you think Barack Obamas plan would include a rule that the company would not be aloud to recoup the taxes by charging their customers. But I digress because I choose to open more than one door at a time while considering the future of a situation. We are not single celled organisms. The human brain is not a subway train headed in one direction. It is possible to actually look further than one avenue or conclusion for any given situation.



Please do more research.


But you've yet to explain, how exactly would a tax imposed on a corporation reduce the price of gas in the short term? You actually think that our government can tell a business what to charge on products? That is absolutely ridiculous.

Kinda reminds me of this gem: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=65111

[chalupa]

But you've yet to explain, how exactly would a tax imposed on a corporation reduce the price of gas in the short term? You actually think that our government can tell a business what to charge on products? That is absolutely ridiculous.

Duh, Hesk, the government will give that money back to retarded home owners who took out ridiculous mortgages and can't afford them. Duh.

[Spike Lee]

Please do more research.


But you've yet to explain, how exactly would a tax imposed on a corporation reduce the price of gas in the short term? You actually think that our government can tell a business what to charge on products? That is absolutely ridiculous.

Kinda reminds me of this gem: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=65111

Why the fuck are you goin gto worldnetdaily? Anyways, fuck short term solutions. We need long term ones.

[MissInk]

Why the fuck are you goin gto worldnetdaily? Anyways, fuck short term solutions. We need long term ones.

exactly. all these little band-aids aren't doing shit for a broken arm.