One is the Loneliest Number … in NH for the GOP
December 31st, 2007 by Carbon CoalitionWith most of the candidates in Iowa, John McCain basically has the Granite State to himself until the January 4th mad-dash back to New Hampshire. McCain touched upon three issues at each of his town halls this weekend: Pakistan, Iraq, and climate change.
In a crowded church basement in Dover McCain allowed questioners to follow up in what was a very conversational Q&A session. A questioner asked McCain not to list new energy technologies when asked about R&D for clean energy but rather to speak about the specifics of an R&D program.
“First of all,” McCain started, “I totally agree with you on the approach: pure R&D on the part of the government, but then let the free enterprise system take over and not have the government continue after you do the initial R&D.”
When allowed to follow up, the questioner asked McCain how he would pay for it. His response was McCainesque: “I would kill off a couple of the defense programs right now…I would veto this last appropriations bill that the president just signed…so there are plenty of places to find the money.”
In Londonderry, McCain detailed how he and Joe Lieberman, McCain’s “favorite Democrat,” proposed a cap-and-trade system that would function as a “free enterprise, market oriented, incentive” to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
Listen to McCain in Londonderry
In other Primary climate change news, several institutional members of the Carbon Coalition recently released Clean Energy for America: Why the 44th President Must Put America on the Clean Energy Path. This report explains why the next president must act immediately to address America’s growing energy crisis, and lays out a reasonable yet ambitious course for meeting America’s future energy needs with clean, renewable energy.
Along with releasing this important report, Environment New Hampshire and other conservation groups will ask all the candidates to pledge themselves to clean energy solutions and “act aggressively – beginning in his or her first 100 days in office – to lead America to a clean, secure energy future.”
