What They're Saying About John McCain's Climate Change Speech

McCain Pledges To Take The Lead In Combating Global Climate Change:

Chicago Tribune: McCain Issued A "Call To Action On Global Warming." "John McCain launched a green-tinted courtship of West Coast swing voters on Monday, with a call to action on global warming and an indictment of the Bush administration's 'failed' policies to combat it." (Jim Tankersley, "McCain Rips Bush Record On Warming," Chicago Tribune, 5/13/08)

· Los Angeles Times: McCain "Pledged A New Era Of Environmental Stewardship." "Distancing himself from President Bush, John McCain pledged a new era of environmental stewardship Monday as he outlined his plan to address global warming, a cause he has embraced since activists hounded him during his 2000 run for president." (Maeve Reston, "John McCain Outlines A Plan To Tackle Global Warming," Los Angeles Times, 5/13/08)

· The Oregonian: McCain Outlined A "More Aggressive Approach To Fighting Global Warming." "Sen. John McCain used a wind energy company in Portland as a backdrop Monday to describe his determination to break with the Bush administration and take a much more aggressive approach to fighting global warming." (Jeff Mapes, "McCain Touts Greener Goals," The Oregonian, 5/13/08)

· The Wall Street Journal: "The U.S. Is Fighting The Clock As The Earth Warms To Dangerous Levels, Sen. John McCain Says In A Speech Today In Environmentally Conscious Oregon." (Laura Meckler, "McCain Repeats Call For Cap-And-Trade System," The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire" Blog, 5/12/08)

· Evangelical Climate Initiative's Rev. Jim Ball Praises McCain Speech. "We are greatly encouraged by the principles and proposals included in Senator McCain's speech today, and because we consider the decisions we make about energy to be at their root moral choices, as Christians we commend the speech's moral high road." (The Evangelical Climate Initiative, "Evangelicals Commend McCain Speech On Climate Change," Press Release, 5/12/08)

· Republicans For Environmental Protection President Martha Marks: "Clear That [McCain] Is The Presidential Candidate Most Dedicated And Best Prepared to Fight Global Warming." MARKS: "Senator McCain's resounding call for strong action on climate change underscores his longstanding commitment to solving this problem. ... His insightful remarks, along with his long record of climate leadership in the Senate, make it clear that he is the presidential candidate most dedicated and best prepared to fight global warming." (Republicans For Environmental Protection, "McCain Speech Shows Strong Climate Leadership," Press Release, 5/12/08)

The Boston Globe: McCain "Declares That Climate Change Is Undeniable And Urgent." "The presumptive Republican nominee declares that climate change is undeniable and urgent, suggesting that the United States hasn't acted quickly enough and pledging to return to international negotiations." (Foon Rhee, "McCain Speaks On Global Warming," The Boston Globe's "Political Intelligence" Blog, 5/12/08)

· Bloomberg: "McCain Said The Clock Is Running On The Chance To Curb Major Global Climate Shifts Brought On By The Burning Of Fossil Fuels Such As Oil And Coal." (Kim Chipman, "McCain Says China Must Play Equal Role On Emissions," Bloomberg, 5/12/08)

· Business Week: McCain "One Of The Few Republicans In Washington Who Backs Climate-Change Regulations." "And as one of the few Republicans in Washington who backs climate-change regulations, McCain has a devoted following among the community of people pushing for action on the issue." (John Carey, "McCain: The New 'Captain Climate'?" Business Week, 5/12/08)

· CNN's Dana Bash: "Republican Candidates Don't Often Come To The Pacific Northwest To Decry The Effects Of Global Warning. Precisely The Reason John McCain Did." (CNN's "Situation Room," 5/12/08)

· Fox News: "[McCain] Made The Case That Global Warming Is Fact And Without The Limiting Of Greenhouse Gases Using Free-Market Principals It Will Not Just Be The Environment That Will Find Itself In Peril." (Shushannah Walshe, "McCain Addresses Climate Change," Fox News, 5/12/08)

· MSNBC's David Shuster: "On The Republican Side, A Break Out Effort Today By John McCain. As Republicans Go, He Gave A Stunning Speech This Afternoon About Global Warming." (MSNBC's 5/12/08)

· The Washington Times: McCain "Offered A Pragmatic Answer" To The Global Warming Debate. "But Mr. McCain yesterday offered a pragmatic answer to what some scientists say is man's role in the warming of the planet, arguing that even if he is wrong, moving toward lower-emission vehicles and reducing greenhouse gases still would benefit the environment." (Joseph Curl, "McCain Takes Aim At Climate Change," The Washington Times, 5/13/08)

ABC News: McCain "Calling For Urgent Steps To Confront Its Threat." "Campaigning in the Pacific Northwest, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, R-Ariz., will break sharply from the Bush administration on climate change, calling for urgent steps to confront its threat and saying that as president he 'will not shirk the mantle of leadership' on the issue." (Ron Claiborne, "McCain Breaks Sharply From Bush On Environment," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, 5/12/08)

· Congressional Quarterly: "McCain's Plan Is Far More Ambitious Than Anything President Bush Has Endorsed, But It Is Less Stringent Than Proposals From His Democratic Rivals." (Avery Palmer, "McCain Unveils Global Warming Plan," Congressional Quarterly, 5/12/08)

McCain Proposing "Market-Oriented" Approach To Confronting Climate Change:

The Associated Press: McCain Proposing A "Free-Market Solution" To Combat Climate Change. "John McCain broke with the Bush administration and Republican Party orthodoxy Monday as he not only declared global warming real, but reached out to Democrats and independents with a free-market solution that includes capping carbon-fuel emissions." (Glen Johnson, "McCain Urges Free-Market Solution On Warming," The Associated Press, 5/12/08)

Business Week: "McCain's Approach Is More Market-Oriented." "What is clear is that, even while McCain and both Democratic candidates support caps on greenhouse gas emissions, there are philosophical differences to their approaches. McCain's approach is more market-oriented." (John Carey, "McCain: The New 'Captain Climate'?" Business Week, 5/12/08)

Congressional Quarterly: McCain "Called For Placing A Cap On Emissions And Setting Up A Market-Based Trading Program." "In a speech in Portland, Ore., the Arizona senator called for placing a cap on emissions and setting up a market-based trading program for businesses." (Avery Palmer, "McCain Unveils Global Warming Plan," Congressional Quarterly, 5/12/08)

CNN: McCain Proposes "Capping Carbon Emissions Incrementally." "In his speech, the Arizona senator will propose capping carbon emissions incrementally, with the goal of returning to 1990 emission levels by the year 2020 using a cap-and-trade program. Such a program would cap greenhouse gas emissions at certain levels, and allow more efficient energy producers to sell off emissions permits to other, less efficient companies, thereby creating market-wide incentives to reduce carbon output." (Peter Hamby, "McCain Appeals To Independents With Environment Pitch," CNN, 5/12/08)

NPR's Scott Horsley: "John McCain Is Talking About Using Market Forces To Control Greenhouse Gasses." (NPR's "All Things Considered," 5/12/08)

The Washington Post: McCain Plan "Would Allow The Market To Play A Role" In Reducing Emissions. "The centerpiece of Mr. McCain's plan is a reduction in carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade system in which government would limit the amount of carbon dioxide that could be emitted and would issue allowances to emitting companies that could buy and sell those rights. This would allow the market to play a role, encouraging innovation and efficiency as greenhouse gas emissions are reduced." (Editorial, "Climate Change In Washington," The Washington Post, 5/13/08)

The Washington Times: "The Arizona Senator Said He Thinks That Market Forces Can Drive Industries Toward Greener Energy Sources." (Joseph Curl, "McCain Takes Aim At Climate Change," The Washington Times, 5/13/08)

McClatchy: McCain Called For More International Cooperation. "McCain also said that more international cooperation is needed in combating climate change, noting that little real progress could be made without involving China and India, two developing nations with enormous energy appetites that have 'the potential to pollute the air faster, and in greater annual volume, than any nation ever in history.'" (Matt Stearns, "McCain Goes Green In West Coast Speech," McClatchy, 5/12/08)

· Bloomberg: "China And India Must Take Equal Responsibility With The U.S. And Other Industrialized Nations In Cutting Global Warming Pollution, Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain Said." (Kim Chipman, "McCain Says China Must Play Equal Role On Emissions," Bloomberg, 5/12/08)

McCain Has A Long Record On Climate Change Policy:

ABC News: "McCain Has Spoken Out Often On Climate Change." "During his presidential quest, McCain has spoken out often on climate change. He was one of the only Republican candidates do so and was the most forceful GOP contender to talk about the issue. In 2003, he sponsored the first bill calling for mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions." (Ron Claiborne, "McCain Breaks Sharply From Bush On Environment," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, 5/12/08)

Business Week: McCain Drafted "Pioneering" Legislation On Climate Change. "With his friend Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), he even drafted the pioneering McCain-Lieberman climate bill, which would have put caps on the emissions of global-warming-causing greenhouse gases in the U.S." (John Carey, "McCain: The New 'Captain Climate'?" Business Week, 5/12/08)

Fox News: "McCain Stressed That Only The Free-Market System Can Help Slow Climate Change, Namely Using A Cap-And Trade System." (Shushannah Walshe, "McCain Addresses Climate Change," Fox News, 5/12/08)

NPR's Michelle Norris: "McCain Has Been More Outspoken Than Many Republicans On The Subject Of Global Warming." (NPR's "All Things Considered," 5/12/08)

USA Today: "As A Senator, McCain Has Long Backed Cap-And-Trade Legislation." (David Jackson, "McCain To Pitch Climate-Change Plan In Oregon," USA Today, 5/12/08)

U.S. Greenpeace Research Director Kert Davies: "[McCain] Knows This Stuff Is Real, And Speaks With Authority On The Climate Change Issue." (Hal Bernton, "McCain Speech On Global Warming Reflects Role Issue Likely To Play In Fall Election," Seattle Times, 5/12/08)

The Washington Post: McCain's Speech "Highlighted His Personal Commitment To The Issue." "During his speech this afternoon McCain highlighted his personal commitment to the issue, relating how he witnessed the effects of climate change first-hand during his travels to the Arctic as a senator." (Juliet Eilperin, "McCain Breaks With Bush On Climate Change," The Washington Post's "The Trail" Blog, 5/12/08)

In The Headlines:

ABC News: "McCain Breaks Sharply From Bush On Environment"
(Ron Claiborne, "McCain Breaks Sharply From Bush On Environment," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, 5/12/08)

The Associated Press: "McCain Urges Free-Market Solution On Warming"
(Glen Johnson, "McCain Urges Free-Market Solution On Warming," The Associated Press, 5/12/08)

Bloomberg: "McCain Says China Must Play Equal Role On Emissions"
(Kim Chipman, "McCain Says China Must Play Equal Role On Emissions," Bloomberg, 5/12/08)

Congressional Quarterly: "McCain Unveils Global Warming Plan"
(Avery Palmer, "McCain Unveils Global Warming Plan," Congressional Quarterly, 5/12/08)

The Dallas Morning News: "McCain Reveals Emissions Proposals"
(Dave Michaels, "McCain Reveals Emissions Proposals," The Dallas Morning News, 5/13/08)

Fox News: "McCain Addresses Climate Change"
(Shushannah Walshe, "McCain Addresses Climate Change," Fox News, 5/12/08)

The Hill: "McCain, Breaking From President, Calls For Emissions Caps"
(Walter Alarkon, "McCain, Breaking From President, Calls For Emissions Caps," The Hill, 5/12/08)

Los Angeles Times: "John McCain Outlines A Plan To Tackle Global Warming"
(Maeve Reston, "John McCain Outlines A Plan To Tackle Global Warming," Los Angeles Times, 5/13/08)

McClatchy: "McCain Goes Green In West Coast Speech"
(Matt Stearns, "McCain Goes Green In West Coast Speech," McClatchy, 5/12/08)

The New York Times: "McCain Differs With Bush On Climate Change"
(Elisabeth Bumiller And John M. Broder, "McCain Differs With Bush On Climate Change," The New York Times, 5/13/08)

The Oregonian: "McCain Touts Greener Goals"
(Jeff Mapes, "McCain Touts Greener Goals," The Oregonian, 5/13/08)

Politico: "McCain Pushes Environmental Policy"
(Jonathan Martin, "McCain Pushes Environmental Policy," Politico, 5/12/08)

Reuters: "McCain Pledges To Combat Climate Change"
(Tim Gaynor, "McCain Pledges To Combat Climate Change," Reuters, 5/12/08)

The Wall Street Journal: "McCain Repeats Call For Cap-And-Trade System"
(Laura Meckler, "McCain Repeats Call For Cap-And-Trade System," The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire" Blog, 5/12/08)

The Washington Post: "McCain Breaks With Bush On Climate Policy"
(Juliet Eilperin, "McCain Breaks With Bush On Climate Policy," The Washington Post, 5/13/08)

The Washington Times: "McCain Takes Aim At Climate Change"
(Joseph Curl, "McCain Takes Aim At Climate Change," The Washington Times, 5/13/08)