McCain, Obama pledge action on global needs
Besides talking about the Wall Street crisis and bailout, John McCain and Barack Obama also pledged at the Clinton Global Initiative conference to tackle global warming, described global poverty as a national security issue, and promised to end deaths from malaria.
While some in his own party, including running mate Sarah Palin, have expressed doubts about how much human activity is fueling climate change, McCain expressed no such doubts.
"We now know that fossil fuel emissions, by retaining heat within the atmosphere, threaten disastrous changes in climate. No challenge of energy is to be taken lightly, and least of all the need to avoid the consequences of global warming," he said.
"Over time, we must shift our entire energy economy toward a sustainable mix of new and cleaner power sources. This will include some we use already, such as wind, solar, biofuels, and other sources yet to be invented. It will include a variety of new automotive and fuel technologies, clean-burning coal and nuclear energy, and a new system of incentives, under a cap-and-trade policy, to put the power of the market on the side of environmental protection. To make the great turn away from carbon-emitting fuels, we will need all the inventive genius of which America is capable. We will need as well an economy strong enough to support our nation's great shift toward clean energy."
McCain also said that "too many around the world are excluded from the benefits of globalization."
"Disconnected from the prosperity that has lifted millions out of poverty, too many societies are plagued by violence, disease, and scarcity," he added. "It need not be this way. And in places where scarcity can breed resentment, despair, and extremism -- where problems cannot be contained by borders -- it must not be this way. We can never guarantee our security through military means alone. True security requires a far broader approach, using non-military means to reduce threats before they gather strength. And this is especially true of our strategic interest in fighting disease and extreme poverty across the globe.
"Promoting development, creating opportunities, and eliminating disease do not only serve our national interests; they also accord with our deepest American values," he said.
McCain mentioned malaria, the mosquito-borne illness, in particular. "Malaria alone kills more than a million people a year, mostly in Africa," he said. "Nearly 3,000 children are lost every day just to this one affliction -- a disease well within our ability to eradicate. To its lasting credit, the federal government in recent years has led the way in this fight. But, of course, America is more than its government. Some of the greatest advances have been the work of the Gates Foundation and other private, charitable groups. And you have my pledge that, should I be elected, I will build on these and other initiatives to ensure that malaria kills no more."
Speaking via satellite, Obama also promised action on global warming, including his commitment to set a goal of an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
He pledged to work to reduce extreme poverty around the globe in half by 2015. "There is suffering across the globe that doesn’t need to be tolerated in the 21st century," he said. "And it leads to pockets of instability that provide fertile breeding grounds for threats like terror and the smuggling of deadly weapons that cannot be contained by the drawing of a border or the distance of an ocean."
Obama said the United States should pledge $2 billion to a global education fund to erase the primary education gap. "Every child – every boy, and every girl – should have the ability to go to school," he said.
And he promised to establish a goal of ending malaria deaths by 2015. It’s time to rid the world of death from a disease that doesn’t have to take lives. The United States must lead, and when I am President we will step up our focus on prevention and treatment around the world to get this done.
Little Johnny is running around like a chicken with his head cut off. He needs a time-out so someone can write him a cue card. This Republican ticket is completely incompetent. I guess Little Johnny wants to now nuke the home owners who were victimized by the predatory lenders which He, Little Johnny, has been the proponent for and recipient of their pay-offs. Little un-American Johnny going to sell out the American public, just as he did his fellow servicemen….oh, that’s right, Obama is black, can’t have that. Instead we need a hack and right-wing ideologue who have as their only real policy the completion of the Rove-Cheney plan to completely destroy the middle class in this country. Lets’ move our finical markets to Dubai along with Haliburton.,,,that’s the ticket.
Obama makes way too many claims that are far outside his area of influence. I have yet in my sixty years of life to see a president walk their talk. Congress is even worse.
Why are people so quick to critize an african american man. I believe let alone know that he will stand behind what he is saying. McCain has tired to come up with things to disregard Obama credit ability. We as african american have been putting up with the bullshit from everyone and so has our ancestor. And even if I was another race, I still would say that Obama speaks the truth. He will deliver to the table. McCain was behind dumb ass bush, so why would you want to go through the same bullshit for four more years? If you really want us to be out of reccession, think you need to be smart and not dumb and vote for Obama. Hell straight Democrate. I am from chicago and I work down the street from where Obama use to live. Taxes in Chicago is 10.25, gas is around 4.35. We need a change. VOTE OBAMA.
McCain Runs And Hides From His Past:
John McCain running from the debate with Barack Obama is unacceptable, and COWARDICE! There are over 350 members of congress to deal with the US economic collapse. And even more capital hill aids, advisers, and experts to deal with the economic catastrophe created by the corrupt Bush McCain presidency and the past republican controlled congress.
Every American, and TRUE! patriot needs to demand that John McCain debate Barack Obama and tell the American people how he is going to fix this economic catastrophe that he (John McCain), Bush, and the past Republican controlled congress created.
Contact the news media. Your local papers. And demand that they hold John McCain accountable to debate Barack Obama. Contact all your friends and ask them to do the same. Call your senators, and congressmen and tell them that you expect "Let Them Eat Cake" John McCain to debate Barack Obama on this economic catastrophe that John McCain and "Let Them Eat Cake" BUSH! created.
It's time to get ANGRY! America. Tell John McCain you want answers, and you want those answers NOW!
He can run. But he cant hide anymore.
What ever congress does to try and fix our stunning economic catastrophe needs to be done very carefully. Congress needs to take their time, and be sure of what they are doing. Whatever is done needs to be sharply focused at helping, and protecting the best interest of the ordinary Americans. In particular the vast American middle class. 700 billion dollars is a lot of the peoples money to spend to bail out a bunch of corrupt Bush loan sharks.
My fellow human beings, just as I warned you ahead of this catastrophic economic meltdown, I must now warn you that what is a head has the potential to be even more catastrophic than what we are going through now. The worlds geopolitical landscape has been booby trapped by the Bush McCain administration and their republican allies in congress. These booby traps are poised to spring at any time.
Fortunately the Worlds Nations have been blest with many excellent leaders (except the US) who have been careful, wise, strong, and self-restrained in dealing with the provocations, and antagonism's of the Bush, McCain administration.
Barack Obama and the democrats are your best hope now. Tell your family, friends, and everyone you know to support them as best you can, and vote for them like your life, and the lives of your loved ones depends on it. Because it does. You will not survive 4 more years of Bush McCain.
JACK SMITH - WORKING CLASS...
I have to say that McCain talked about the actual strategies he will employ to get the job done. Obama only made grand declarations and timetables. This is becoming a recurring issue with him. As for the debates, McCain requested more debates... Obama refused. Postponing one debate is not running from anything.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
Send your comments to masspolitics@globe.com
browse this blog
by categoryINside Boston.com