McCain Campaign Conference Call On Barack Obama's Energy Positions

"And I believe that what we will see today is Barack Obama attempting to paint a picture of an energy plan that frankly is not based on developing more American energy supply. I believe that anyone who says that we can achieve energy independence in this country without that, without more nuclear power without more offshore drilling, without more clean coal, doesn't have the experience to understand the problem we are faced with or isn't being straightforward to the American people." -- Rep. Eric Cantor

8/4/08 Today, U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign held a press conference call with Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Doug Holtz-Eakin, McCain Campaign Senior Policy Adviser, on Barack Obama's energy positions:

Rep. Eric Cantor: "We are here on the call today to really begin to look at what we are going to hear for the rest of the day, which is the unveiling of Barack Obama's energy plan for the future. I think it comes at a time when everyone looks around and sees that the American people are really hurting. I know here in my home state of Virginia I have talked to seniors on fixed incomes who just cannot deal with $4 a gallon gas. We've got police forces, school systems, small businesses that are really buckling up under the pressure of the sky-high gas prices.

"So it is clear that this is an issue that is very important to our economy and to the families of America. And I believe that what we will see today is Barack Obama attempting to paint a picture of an energy plan that frankly is not based on developing more American energy supply. I believe that anyone who says that we can achieve energy independence in this country without that, without more nuclear power without more offshore drilling, without more clean coal, doesn't have the experience to understand the problem we are faced with or isn't being straightforward to the American people."

...

Doug Holtz-Eakin: "I think the case has been very well laid out and I will simply echo two things. The first is that when John McCain put together his Lexington Project to eliminate America's dangerous dependence on imported oil, he used what the experts said was the best possible tactics -- to put everything into the plan: comprehensive domestic drilling and oil and natural gas; nuclear power expansion -- we only use 20% in our electricity grid, we could use a lot more; coal powered power plants that were cleaner than our old ones and which will use our most abundant resource while building capacity for clean coal technologies of the future and carbon caps and sequestration. It's a comprehensive effort that was realistic about the ability to move the United States away from the dangerous reliance on imported oil toward cleaner technologies and cleaner energy in the future.

"It's an aggressive plan and his goal is to leave our dependence by 2025. The Obama assertion that he can take off the table new natural gas, take off the table new oil supplies, take off the table nuclear power, take off the table building coal powered power plants and somehow in ten years will relieve the United States of its reliance of imported oil is utterly unrealistic. And I think as the Congressman said, he either doesn't understand what he said or he's not being straight with the American people.

"It's time for leadership on this issue. That is what Senator McCain has presented the American people with a path forward so that we're no longer held hostage to foreign oil markets. It's an aggressive plan. Senator Obama has shown no leadership on this issue, indeed his tendency to just go along is one on which he has a track record of in the U.S. Senate -- sticking with the party line, not bucking his backers or his party to cast tough votes and provide leadership on real issues for the American people. So this is more of the same for Barack Obama."

Listen To The Full Conference Call
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