McCain Campaign: Statement in Defense of Barack Obama

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign issued the following statement from McCain 2008 Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker in defense of Barack Obama's energy positions:

"Senator Obama's stance on offshore oil drilling has been mischaracterized. He has not changed his position. He has continually campaigned against additional drilling, calling the policy a 'gimmick' saying it was a 'scheme' and ridiculing those who support it. With his steadfast opposition to John McCain's 'all of the above' approach to our energy crisis, Americans should know that Barack Obama remains opposed to additional domestic oil drilling. Speaker Pelosi, MoveOn.org and the Sierra Club can take comfort from the fact that Barack Obama still opposes additional domestic oil drilling. Meanwhile, the American people can be sure that John McCain will do what is necessary to reduce this country's dependence on Middle East oil and bring down prices at the pump."

Barack Obama Has Not Changed His Position On Offshore Drilling

Barack Obama: "This wasn't really a new position. What I'm saying is that we can't drill our way out of the problem." (Barack Obama, Press Conference, Cape Canaveral, FL, 8/2/08)
Barack Obama On Offshore Drilling: "This Is Not Real"

In Springfield, Missouri, Barack Obama Said That Drilling Will Not "Solve Our Problem" And That "It's Not Real." "'If I thought that by drilling offshore we could solve our problem, I'd do it ... This is not real. I know it's tempting. The polls say the majority of Americans think it's one way we'll resolve our problems, but it's not real." (John Whitesides, "Obama, Mccain Duel Over Celebrity Ad, Attacks," Reuters, 7/30/08)

Barack Obama Called Offshore Drilling A "Scheme." Obama: "Now the latest scheme is well, we're going to drill offshore. Now, I want to be absolutely clear to everybody about this. If I thought that I could provide you some immediate relief on gas prices by drilling off the shores of California and New Jersey, I understand how desperate folks are. I met a guy who couldn't go on a job search that lost his job, couldn't go on a job search because of the high price of gas. Just couldn't fill up his tank. I met a teacher in South Dakota who loved her job as a teacher on an Indian reservation, she had to quit because the drive was too far, it was taking up too much of her paycheck. I know how bad people are hurting. So If I thought that by drilling offshore, we could solve our problem, I'd do it." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, Springfield, MO, 7/30/08)

· Watch Barack Obama Call Offshore Drilling A "Scheme": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9k9138YBKQ

Barack Obama Said That Drilling Was A "Strategy Designed To Get Politicians Through An Election." "Last month, Senator McCain raised more than a million dollars from oil and gas company executives and employees -- most of which came after he announced his drilling plan in front of a bunch of oil executives in Houston. This is not a strategy designed to end our energy crisis -- it's a strategy designed to get politicians through an election, and that's exactly why Washington has failed to do anything about our energy dependence for the last 30 years." (Foon Rhee, "More Energy Talk, More Skirmishing," The Boston Globe's "Political Intelligence" Blog, http://www.boston.com, Posted 7/31/08)

Barack Obama: "This Is A Proposal That Would Only Worsen Our Addiction To Oil." "And just like Senator McCain's gas tax holiday gimmick, this is a proposal that would only worsen our addiction to oil and put off needed investments in clean renewable energy." (Barack Obama, Remarks, Jacksonville, FL, 6/20/08)
---
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Community News You Can Use
---