Obama, McCain go after each other on energy

John McCain's financial adviser Phil Gramm hid the Enron loophole in thousands of pages. Gramm's wife Wendy was the Chairman of the CFTC. After she got the loophole, Wendy left the CFTC for Enron.

McCain has known about the Enron loophole since 2001-2002. He voted to close it in 2003, but since 2006 and Gramm being his adviser, McCain has been silent.

McCain has instead focused on gas tax holidays and drilling that will do nothing to lower gas prices. McCain's is only trying to fool voters that he is taking action.

McCain represents the Republican party, the same party that has stood shoulder to shoulder with the GWB admistration for almost eight years. Congress, the Executive branch, and, in most decisions, the courts have been under republican control for almost those full eight years. It would take too many sentences to outline the disaster that has been GWB. McCain is strongly supported by this same failed group. Why should anyone making less than one million per year vote for this bunch? Even those who base their votes on Christian virtues can't be happy with a candidate who deserted a handicapped wife by cheating on her while he was married to her, then called his new wife a "cunt" in public. Not much virtue there.

John McCain's head financial adviser Phil Gram is the one who was pushing the Enron "loophole" which is really a law. This law is a big reason on why we have such high gas prices. This and the effects of speculators. Offshore drilling will not have any impact on prices and the gas tax holiday will drain our funds for building and maintaining our roads and highways. Phil Gram is also helped deregulate the bank load industry which is why the mortgage crisis is happening. So do you think we would be better off with McCain and all of his lobbyist running his country?

I believe it is time to try something other than one side bashing the other over their respective energy programs. If there are solutions we can turn to now, why not employ them? For example, if we can import Brazilian ethanol and if it can be shown to lower energy prices, why not do it? Why not import Brazilian ethanol plants and use our domestically grown sugar cane to produce energy? Since we don't have an off the shelf alternative program in place, we need to put politics aside and come up with reliable sources of energy NOW. As with all things coming out of Washington, there is a lot of politics in every position. Many bills are passed to protect big donors. We spend billions in subsidies to support the inefficent corn ethanol industry. Why? Follow the campaign contribution money and where the electoral college votes are located and the answer will relveal itself.

Which candidate is actually campaigning carbon neutral or most gas efficiently regarding the environment? Walk the talk...

It should be transparently obvious that McPandering to the last American oligarchs, the oil monopolists, is a last ditch attempt by McCain to pull off a burning shrub-style miracle in November. If he can just get the corporate money behind him, McCain might have a chance to scam the American people the way Bush, Bush and Reagan did.

Fact is, the money men like Cheney are so deeply embedded in our government at this point it may just work again. Nobody ever lost any money underestimating the gullibility of the American conservative voter.

I'm disappointed in both these guys. I want the truth. As I understand it, the amount of oil in the US is so small and so difficult and time consuming to get that it will not have a significant effect on fuel prices. High fuel costs are the price we have to pay to spur the private sector to develop the technology needed for alternative energy sources and to motivate each of us to improve the efficiency with which we utilize our current energy sources (mainly oil and gas).
I'm tired of "flip-flopping" charges. Intelligent people by necessity change their minds when new information makes old opinions obsolete. We should be more worried about politicians who don't change their minds. The issue is not flip-flopping, it's what is their current considered opinion and does it make sense?

Why the frakk should I care about Enron and all the nonsense posted in the 3 previous comments? The question is.....which candidate has the vision to provide energy for the future. Obama doesn't want to drill, he wants to get away from Coal and other fossil fuels and he is also against Nuclear power. Where the frakk do we get our energy from.....THE EASTER BUNNY?

I certainly don't agree with McCain with many issues, however he lives in a more realistic world than Obama. For crying out loud, what is it going to take people to understand if our energy sources don't keep up with demand, prices will continue to rise through the roof. A concept Obama clearly doesn't understand.

This is another example of Media Bias. McCain should be treated with fairness and equality. Instead it's Obama, Obama, Obama. The real issue of discrimination is the liberal bias of the media.
Along the same line why is the story about the racial prejudices of the whites when barely more than 50% vote for McCain? Meanwhile the non-prejudiced blacks are 90% for Obama?

All your comments so far are from Democrats. Blame, Blame, Blame. This is an energy solution that will work NOW. Energy has become a national security problem for the U.S. because of the activities of domestic and foreign speculators manipulating crude oil futures contracts. This situation has destroyed consumer confidence and could bring down our economy if ignored. We have become hostage to OPEC (foreign cartel) and if Iran decides to punish us for our dependence on foreign oil, our country will pay a terrible price. Our government has acknowledged the problem but has no plan to solve it. Domestic drilling and alternative fuel solutions will take years to protect us.

Oil speculators have made these extraordinary times and our government should take extraordinary steps to protect our energy sources and economy. I believe our government should become an investor and an active participant in the crude oil futures markets. Unlike oil traders and speculators we are in a position to take delivery on oil contracts using our strategic oil reserve. Our presense in the market would bring an immediate end to the current baseless speculation and manipulation that is going on. When national security is involved, our government has a duty to step-in. In the past, our government has enacted laws and regulations against domestic cartels and cornering markets. These are good examples of government’s involvement in markets to stop these types of abuses. However, this is not a domestic but an international abuse problem and we need a new solution to solve this problem. Cliff Lindroth, San Diego, CA.

If Obama gets us out of Iraq, he'll do more for the price at the pump than anything McCain has suggested!

The US is screwed, yet again.

We have one over the hill candidate who can't seem to figure out where he stands. A liberal Republican who can't seem to find the path he needs to follow in pandering to the conservative right and the left leaning independents.

And we have one inexperienced Senator who seems capable of only saying, "I am for change", but incapable of presenting any real plans other than tax and spend. Even his judgement has to be questioned considering the numerous questionable associations he has held over the years and the inordinate amount of times he has had to "explain" some comment or another.

I am just hoping for a good independent.

Good question Hal! If you were black, why wouldn't you support the Supposed Black Candidate? White people get to vote for white guys every election. In case you haven't noticed, America has many ethnic groups and people of other colors other than white people.

The so-called liberal media is just a crutch. Just like activist judges that Republicans like to demonize, except when they support their positions. Just admit you racial bias and deal with it. At least 33% of the white people aren't sure if they pull the lever for a black man. That's what's called prejudice!

Hal,

At second glance, I sure didn't see anything about race in this article, so why are you even bringing it up? Media Bias? Yes, you're right, all I see are negative stories about McCain. Like the story about his pastor Hagee, and how he said "Catholics are wh0res" or when he said "Hitler was just doing gods work".

Oh, wait I didn't see anything about that in the papers, I had to research it myself. On the other hand, I heard plenty about Obama's pastor. I wonder why no one reported McCains pastor? Oh, probably that liberal media.

Or how about the fact that just about everything McCain was for 2 years ago, he is now against. Can you imagine how the media would treat Obama if he were half the flip-flopper McCain is?

McCain is all for our continued misadventure in Iraq at the expense of the American Soldier, but he WOULD NOT VOTE FOR INCREASED WAGES AND BENEFITS FOR SOLDIERS!!!!

Why? It would be "too generous" as he put it. "Too generous" for people we have asked to go half way around the world, leaving behind their families, putting their health and life at risk to fight in our name.

If you love endless war and soaring gas prices VOTE REPUBLICAN.
4 more years!!!

Most of those posting on this forum don't seem to care about solving the "Energy Crises" only about who gets the blame or the credit. Quit looking back and start looking forward. We need to do "everything"!!

Drill in Alaska and off our coasts.
Harvest the oil shale in the Rockies.
Build more refineries.
Develop more nuclear power.
Develop incentives for alternative fuels.
Raise fuel efficiency of cars.
Close "loopholes" and regulate oil speculators.
Eliminate subsidies and stop wasting money on failed projects(corn ethanol)

If our government spent half as much time, money, and effort on governing as they do on campaigning, imagine what they could accomplish.

Last time I heard the US had 3% of world reserves and consumes 25% of current production. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that expanding drilling in the US is going to solve ANYTHING; NOW OR IN THE FUTURE; this is just a GIMMICK.

We need to consume oil more efficiently (50 mile a gallon cars as a minimum) and switch other energy sources ASAP

While we have stumbled arrogantly along with monster vehicles (showing a shocking lack of personal responsibility for national security) plastered with 'support the troops' stickers and provided ridiculous subsidies to farmers (the self-sufficient heart of America) for corn-based ethanol that takes more energy to make than it produces, Brazil has quietly become energy independent with small cars and sugar cane ethanol, a by-product of their sugar industry.

Gasoline is expensive because crude oil costs over $130/barrel on the world market. If we drill our brains out, Exxon et. al. will still sell the crude at the prevailing market rate. We must conserve (to buy time and diminish the harmful effects of burning fossil fuels) while we invest in alternatives and change the way we live. Until we take personal responsibility for our energy choices and their implications for national security (not to mention environmental impact) and learn to value true patriotism with its attendant personal sacrafices over mindless nationalism, we are lost, in my not altogether humble opinion.

Media bias? You gotta be kidding me. The media LOVES them some McCain. Latest example: You would never know from the Globe's and others' coverage of Obama's decision to opt out of public campaign financing that McCain is in violation of the FEC rules on public financing. McCain said he would take public financing for the primaries. Then he used the promise of that public financing as collateral on a loan for his campaign. After he wrapped up the Republican nomination, he abruptly decided he did not want to be bound by the limits on campaign fund-raising and spending that accompany public financing, so he announced that he had changed his mind. Gee, where was the "liberal" media on that one? That GOP talking point doesn't hold water anymore, Hal. Our media is clearly an arm of the corporations that own them.
As for energy, gtessex, guess you didn't see Obama's plan for closing the oil speculation loophole? So much for not understanding supply and demand. And Obama's called for investing $150 Billion in the next 10 years in alternatives, including clean coal. Energy supplies can't keep up with demand. But these prices can't be accounted for by supply and demand alone -- speculators are partly to blame for the price. But you don't mention China and India, who are quickly replacing us a oil's biggest customer. And we're just running out the stuff. Any plan to drill our way out of this is not going to work. McCain takes his marching orders from the discredited Neo-con wing of the GOP and the other 28%ers who think things are great!

McCain at least is laying out realistic energy plans. The liberals ideas of don't increase production, sue OPEC, subsidize poor ideas like corn ethanol (of course come to find a lot of money makes it to their pockets from this industry) and talk about ideas without producing any solutions is a joke. People say McCain is "pandering" how about all the liberals pandering to their environmental activist radicals who talk about all the problems without coming up with solutions.

In my opinion some ACTION not just TALK needs to be done to resolve energy issues. This includes:

1. Increasing drilling and oil production
2. Increased refining capacity
3. increased nuclear energy
4. Promote conservation including realistic goals of fuel efficiency, alternative energy, etc. Realistic being as the technology becomes viable not "we'll set an impossible standard and somehow companies will figure it out"

We must put People before money. I was born in 1933 and raise to love my country, I again want to buy made in USA. Common Cents. Pride. Turning our back on God. What the pay Off? Bob V

I have an idea, let's cut down trees and burn then for fuel. They can run steam engines to generate electricity! We've got plenty of trees! We could put people to work cutting them and that would help unemployment!

Sounds dumb, huh! That's what idiots who keep wanting to use coal and oil for energy sound like. We need to generate more energy without fossil fuels and conserve more by increasing the efficiency of our cars, buildings, cities, etc. The politically easy thing is to tell people that there are easy solutions and that the other guy's policy will make your life miserable. Well, the misery now is because for the past 30 years politicians did the easy thing.....and here we are.

All I hear from both candidates for President, both US Senators I might add and still collecting their salaries and perks that our taxes pay for, is talk--proposals and I wanna's, if elected I will and I promise...

Either one of them can get my vote on their promotion in November by doing two simple things now, in their capacity as US Senator: a) earning the salary we're all overtaxed to pay them; and b) show me some real legislation. Introduce a bill to make insider trading on the oil futures market against the law or introduce a bill that requires those who bid on oil futures contracts to prove they can actually take delivery on a contract. How difficult is it to act? Show me the legislation.

Remember that scene in the '60's movie The Graduate where the guest comes up to Dustin Hoffman at the pool party and says one word: Plastics!

Well, now replace that word with another which could prove the next way of the future: Algae!

Forget about corn - Algae is where we should be putting research. Google it. You may be surprised.

the writing has been on the wall for decades. They were teaching me about this day when I was in grade school. What have our leaders done to prepare for this day? Nothing. What did you and I do? Buy an SUV? Boy, we sure did look like we were on the up and up. Can't even give the things away now.

Four dollars? Just wait until it's five. And drilling isn't going to change a damn thing except muck up the scenery.

Our country has had years of opportunity to innovate and we let it go. Its a damn shame.

But why should our leaders push for innovation? They are in the pockets
of the oil companies. There are many people out there loving every minute of this, making boatloads (Saudi Arabia at 1.5 Billion a day). And we squabble, allow "speculative fears" to continue to drive up the cost at the pump. Disgusting. See ya at the pump.

@15: Missing from your list is "Conserve more. Drive less and drive smaller vehicles."

The battery thing with Nuclear power has great potetential for the country. The Hydrogen economy is dangerous and expensive. I applaud Sen. McCain's foresight.

Why don't we give tax incentives for trading in gas guzzlers, making homes more energy efficient (put builder back to work), replacing inefficient street lights, secondary recovery of heat from industrial processes, solar, wind, wave energy. All of these incentives could specify domestic labor and put America back to work. Also we could eliminate tax incentives for having kids and promote family planning. Less kids, less fuel consumption. Only drive 2 kids to soccer instead of 4. Why don't any candidates talk about population control. Why don't we build bullet trains between NY and Washington and along the coast with American labor. Give tax credits to profits made promoting green enery.

Obama's policies will raise taxes, and he does not have anything substantive planned. All he does it xerox Hillary's policies.

What everyone needs to be really afraid of is... OBAMA plans to register BLACK CRIMINALS who have not yet been sentenced, and those who have been released FROM PRISON, to VOTE FOR HIM! His campaign is waging a nationwide effort to get this done and turn them out so he wins over McCain.

For everyone information, John Mccain and his advisers are planning terrorist attack on U.S., they believed this is the only way they can win election. Publishing a book about Obama is another strategy they are planning which will be released very soon. GOP BE ADVISED THAT WE CANNOT BE FOOLED ANYMORE, THIS IS NOT 2004. WHAT YOU DID THEN TO WIN ELECTION DOES NOT HAVE A PLACE IN 2008. GO OBAMA., GO OBAMA