Stories tagged with "John McCain"

McCain’s Energy Plan: Correct Diagnosis, Killer Prescription

Posted by Jerome a Paris on June 28, 2008 - 9:00am in The Oil Drum: Europe
Topic: Policy/Politics
Tags: barack obama, energy policy, john mccain, original, peak oil [list all tags]

With gas topping $4 per gallon and oil prices seemingly reaching new highs every week, more pain at the pump is certain in the foreseeable future, and energy policy is rightfully claiming its place as a major topic of the 2008 election. Indeed, John McCain gave a major campaign speech earlier this week in Houston specifically on energy (the full transcript can be found here) and addresses the issue again this week in Santa Barbara. It is worth looking in more detail at how he describes the current situation, and what he is proposing.

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An Open Letter to Our Next President about Energy Policy

Posted by Robert Rapier on April 30, 2008 - 9:00am
Topic: Policy/Politics
Tags: barack obama, energy policy, gas prices, global warming, greenhouse gas, hillary clinton, john mccain, politics [list all tags]

Mr. or Madam President,

Vice President Dick Cheney once famously quipped "The American way of life is non-negotiable." I submit that while our next president might not be so brash in stating this, the root of our energy problems can be traced to this attitude. But, nature doesn't negotiate. It doesn't appear that any of the remaining presidential candidates understand the basis of the problems we face: Oil is a depleting, finite resource - albeit one crucial for the "American way of life."

Because this resource is so crucial - and obviously not just for Americans - depletion is going to drive prices up as consumers bid for dwindling supplies. Threatening to sue OPEC isn't going to change that. Threatening to tax Big Oil into submission isn't going to change that. Mandating that we will invent new technologies to meet a greatly increased Renewable Fuel Standard isn't going to change that. These are the sorts of proposals that merely demonstrate that your grasp of the problem is superficial. And you have to understand the problem in order to begin addressing it.

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McCain's Gas Pains: Gas "Tax Holidays" A Good Idea?

Posted by JoulesBurn on April 15, 2008 - 6:45pm
Topic: Policy/Politics
Tags: gas prices, john mccain, politics [list all tags]

For immediate release from John McCain's campaign:

John McCain, who just hours earlier proposed a "tax holiday" in which the 18 cent federal tax on gasoline would be suspended during the summer driving season, has reconsidered and has instead proposed that the U.S. gallon be redefined to be equal in volume to the current U.S. quart. "This will immediately lower the price at the pump by 75%, providing visible relief to millions of Americans", quipped McCain. "I rejected the idea of setting it equal to the liter, for obvious reasons".

When questioners suggested that this move wouldn't actually change how much consumers spend to fill their tanks, McCain responded "Well, neither would my previous proposal".

In unrelated election news, the McCain campaign announced that P.T. Barnum has been posthumously appointed as their policy director. Also, Hillary Clinton has proposed a suspension of the law of gravity, at least during the summer flying season, to help the beleaguered airline industry. Barack Obama reportedly had no comment on these suggestions, other than to say that Americans are definitely "atwitter" about gas prices.

We interrupt this vacation from reality with the following observations...(under the fold...)

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McCain wants a gas tax "holiday." It's a no-brainer, right?

Posted by Jerome a Paris on April 15, 2008 - 6:44pm in The Oil Drum: Europe
Topic: Policy/Politics
Tags: gas tax, john mccain [list all tags]

Atrocious policies but devious politics from McCain:

McCain Proposes Break in Gas Taxes

PITTSBURGH (AP) — John McCain wants the federal government to free people from paying gasoline taxes this summer and ensure that college students can secure loans this fall, a pair of proposals aimed at stemming pain from the country's troubled economy.
(...)
To help people weather the downturn immediately, McCain was calling for Congress to institute a "gas-tax holiday" by suspending the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. He also renewed his call for the United States to stop adding to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and thus lessen to some extent the worldwide demand for oil.

Let me make the following bets...(under the fold...)

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The Politics of Biofuels

Posted by Robert Rapier on February 13, 2008 - 10:00am
Topic: Alternative energy
Tags: biodiesel, ethanol, hillary clinton, john mccain [list all tags]

In response to a recent query from an independent student newspaper in the UK, I wrote up an editorial piece on the politics of biofuels. That essay is reproduced below the fold. (The original can be found here.)

One of the intentions was to point out for European readers why the U.S. and the EU have begun to diverge on their biofuel policies. In the U.S. this is mostly a political issue, because our primary biofuel is home grown. In the EU, biofuels are mostly imported, so the EU can take a more objective view.

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