Barack Obama links John McCain to Bush-Cheney oil policies

To listen today to Barack Obama, it's all Dick Cheney's fault.

An "economy in turmoil." An energy policy developed by the vice president. Add it up and the all-but-certain Democratic presidential nominee has a combo of issues he is pushing to the top of his agenda today, and making the connection to John McCain, his Republican opposition.

"McCain has taken a page out of the Cheney playbook," Obama said in Youngstown, Ohio, a Democratic stronghold in a perennial battleground state.

Indeed, Cheney, who interrupted his government service to work in the oil business in Texas in the 1990s, has long been seen as the bete noir in the Bush administration energy policy -- and his role drew even more attention as gasoline prices climbed dramatically in recent months.

With that policy now under attack, it's no surprise that Obama sought to connect McCain to Cheney.

Here's how he did it, his words relayed to Countdown to Crawford by the Times' Peter Nicholas, who is traveling with Obama:

You won't hear me say this often but I actually agree with what McCain said a few weeks ago. Our dangerous dependence on foreign oil was 30 years in the making.... What he neglected to mention was that he was there 26 of those 30 years. He was there. Unless all the bad stuff was done in the four years that he wasn't there. During those years he voted against renewable sources of energy, against biofuels, solar and wind power. And unfortunately in this election McCain has proposed an energy plan that is the same.

Obama continued:

Cheney met with renewable energy once and oil companies 40 times. He has offered a gas tax holiday that at best would give you 30 cents a day for three months but assuming that the gas company would pass that on to you. McCain is offering $4 billion more in tax breaks to the biggest companies in America -- ExxonMobil, that just announced the largest profits in history. You are paying nearly $3.70 a gallon in gas. Two and a half what it cost when George Bush took office. They had a plan. The problem was that it was the oil company plan and it wasn't a people plan and we need a people plan. And that is why I am running for president.

It all reflects an effort to tie McCain to the oil industry, the Associated Press' Tom Raum noted. Problem is, he adds, McCain has no direct links to the industry, unlike Cheney and President Bush himself.

Obama is also using a new ad to draw attention to what he says is Big Oil's $2-million in campaign contributions to McCain.

He doesn't mention the $400,000 from oil company executives that, according to the McCain campaign, have helped the Obama effort.

--James Gerstenzang

Photo: Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Comments

[fools_errand]

You bunch of fools have fallen for the oldest trick in the book - thinking there is any difference between McCain/McSame and Obama - come on they are both tax and spend politicians that dont give a damn about solving problems and only care about being elected. Of course they are both going to lie, cheat and smear the other guy because that's what politics in America have become.

If we weren't all debating which one of these guys is a horses ass we might actually debate the issues and the cause of the current oil mess - which is - wait for it.... both parties lining their pockets and their contributors pockets. yes fellow Americans your are once again being led down the path with the ring in your nose being told lies by both sides that neither can fulfill. Lets just hope that when the printing press runs at the mint under Bernanke that we can have the inevitable collapse of our currency be less painful than watching you idiots debate the republican and democratic talking points!

[please be quiet]

Mark your an idiot.Thats right when congress convenes the republicans all put on lab coats and start the research on safer fuels. I love when some 3rd grade bone head who has a crumb of knowledge he really knows nothing about takes it and try’s to put an agenda on it. Mark did you also mention the republicans are the only ones who are researching unicorns what about that one buddy. Further more if you’re a republican you don't believe in global warming anyway. So why would you mention a cleaner safer more efficient coal and then put a link to it so anyone can look and make the rational decision that you are just stupid

"This belies the fact that supply is not the problem just as OPEC has said. "

And you think members of OPEC who control a majority of the world's oil supplies don't have a vested interests in keeping the price of oil high and wanting to keep it going as long as possible? Hopefully you are not that naive. Daily demand was 86.5 million barrels per day and supply was 85.0 million so SUPPLY AND DEMAND IS AN ISSUE.

"New drilling would not solve the problem today when the public needs it solved, but ten years from now or later. That's the minimum lead time from the beginning of drilling to product available on the market. It doesn't happen overnight, and would provide no immediate relief. "

The democrats have been blocking drilling for 30 years so if we had allowed it 30 years ago we'd have had oil pumping for the last 20 years. Norwegian oil companies got the oil from the ground and pumping within 3 years so the 10 year thing is kind of a scam.

So how is it that if oil is so bad that Norway who has the 2nd best environmental record in the world also is a large oil producer/exporter along with Canada?

"the Republican give away to the rich and crooked goes on unabated."

Maybe you're not up to speed on the whole globalism thing but republicans typically benefit AMERICAN companies. It is not the '50s where it is the people versus business it is 2008 where it is american companies facing foreign competition where the foreign competitor's host countries haven't been scammed into hating business from their own country and remaining oblivious to the direct benefits to foreign competitors.

[scootmandubious]

Looking at some of the comments here, I thought I had stumbled upon the Rush Limbaugh message board.

Instead of confounding us with non-issues and personal attacks on Obama, here is a challenge.

Please tell us when John McCain has ever supported legislation for alternative energy. Then tell us why you think he voted against it so many times in the past.

Additionally, if you really want to support your candidate, how about a reasoned defense of why, through his entire career, McCain was opposed to adding additional offshore drilling....until the last month or so.

Those who have studied the impact of adding additional locations for offshore drilling are probably aware that we don't even have enough transport ships to handle the current drilling that is taking place. They would also know that a mere fraction of what has already been leased is even being explored. And, they would know that America's proved oil reserves are 14th globally. In fact we have only 1/10 the supply of Canada (#2, only behind Saudi Arabia) and, even if we drill to the max we just don't have sustainable resources in comparison to our energy needs. We have no choice but to seek alternative sources of energy in the future.

But, no, stick to slander, name-calling and falsehoods.

It is part of the GOP playbook.

Attack...with whatever you can throw out...and take no prisoners.

[Fox7777]

Corrupt Republicans are using the same old dirty tricks. With the same old dirty tricks and corruption you get the same results. Barack Obama will be surrounded by a smart team that can get us out of the mess created by corrupt Republicans.

John McCain is confused, showing signs of dementia and is mindlessly spouting dirty politics talking points from corrupt Republicans. Another four years of Bush would totally destroy our country and this is what the American people would get with McCain. For the sake of our country, we must make sure that Barack Obama is elected President.

[pacificGatePost]

There is an upside to the oil shock.

http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/08/oil-speculators-and-cartels-our.html

Oil prices have done all of us a big favor.

"Critics of the offshore drilling plan noted that the Energy Department released data July, 2008 showing that U.S. exports of finished petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel, soared to 1.592 million barrels per day in May. The exports set a record for the month and were up 31 percent from a year ago."

Thisdata has an agenda since it doesn't list the real reasons for exports. American oil companies own refineries and some of these refineries are the only ones in the world that can refine certain types of petroleum like high sulfur heavy crude.

Exxon imports 90% of its oil since the producers require american refineries to refine their petroleum viable otherwise the petroleum could not be utilized (a part of the reason Exxon imports so much). So it goes to say since a major portion of US oil companies' businesses are in refining they will send out this refined oil to the sources it came from.

[abby0802]

Obama is right.
McCain had planned to have a BIG fundraiser with Texas oilman Hunt. It got cancelled.
Why?
Because it came out that Hunt had made insensitive jokes about rape so McCain was forced to cancel the fundraiser.
That's the type of man with whom McCain associates.
McCain is a friend of the oil industry, and there is no doubt about that here in Texas.

[Donna Hughs]

The author of this piece seems to want to discredit Obama's argument by stating that McCain doesn't have the ties to the oil industry that Cheney does. But the larger point is Obama's charge that McCain has consistently voted AGAINST alternative forms of energy over the course of his 26 years in the Senate--for WHATEVER reason. If the writer doubts this allegation by Obama, he could do us all a favor by researching and reporting on McCain's record.

At present McCain would, it seems, rather spend his time distorting and mocking Obama's point about full tire inflation bringing us more savings NOW, as contrasted with the small savings from drilling in ANWR of $.06 per gallon (which, the oil companies will surely pass on to consumers!) to be gained only years down the road .

What we need to be doing instead, in this campaign, is discussing the possible effects of greater investment in alternative forms of energy and halting federal giveaways to oil companies (e.g. $1.3 billion in royalties to companies drilling in the gulf, due to bureaucratic oversight; see http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2711 )

It would be great if the MSM would take a role in furthering that discussion.

[Cryos]

Gee what a surprise more and more posts by naive liberals who won't address any of the factual points in my post and just keep posting liberal and MSM mindless drivel. Just keep demonizing american companies and running them out of business I bet the Chinese, Indian, etc companies really have your interests more in mind than american companies.

Neo-cons are helping ruin things also, but I especially love how liberals have been recruited to destroy their own countries' interests and are too blind to see it.

[ben larson]

seems like it would be important to note (and fair and balanced as well) that Obama voted in 2005 for the energy measure he's now criticizing.

[Merfzero]

This whole drilling issue is a self correcting problem. The Chinese and Cubans will have no problem drilling in the Caribbean and bringing the oil to Houston.
Now with those pesky polar ice caps out of the way, the Russians are exploring the Bering Sea and will be bringing huge boatloads of crude into Northen Alaska ports.
This is much cleaner environmentally to ship large oil tankers through stormy seas than to pipe it the 70 miles overland from ANWR.

[martin]

If you are rich then you need to vote for republicans because this is the party of the wealthy and corporates! They get a look of tax breaks: Proof: CEO of Walmart as managers to vote for McCain. Do you know that the average salary of a CEO health insurance is 20 million/year. With dividends some make close to $100 million/year.
If you are a middle class or lower voter then you should vote for democrats.
The biggest nonsense is to associate true conservative conservative values with republicans. Look at Dick Cheney, Carl Rove ... dishonest people ...false prophets .. also that republicans provide more security: We should secure our borders and if a disaster or an attack happened we need immediate effective help. Not our government reacted on Katharina!!
Judge the facts at factcheck.org

[ricky michael]

Look at the republicans track record over the past eight years.High unemployment,high gas prices,lies and being caught in lies etc.It would take a person who relishes in misery to want to vote for McCain to want more of the same. McCain comes from money,doesn't feel the pinch,Obama speaks from experience of life,which is something most can identify.

[bill]

do I need to remind Senator Obama that John McCain actually voted against the 2005 Bush-Cheney energy bill? And oh, just by the by… Obama voted for it? Hello? Is there anyone left around here who knows how to organize a political campaign?

[Cosmo]

Obama is really a flip flopper, I just wish there was a better choice on both sides, I really wish I could vote for Ron Paul with the thought of him actually being ellectable. Unfortunately most people think he is too radical.

The way things are going, i might just vote for mc cain.

[Dakota]

The Democrat energy policy of no off-shore oil drilling and a push for ethanol
are what got us into this mess....Including hig food prices. Not Bush and Cheney.

[Sady]

Listen all, it's not a lie. John McCain will lead us into WWIII. Obama has the Foreign policy skills and the modern thinking that we need to turn this country around. Right now is not the time to vote Republican, we need to send a message to the rest of the world that we actually have control over this country.

If your looking for an intelligent president vote Obama. If you value money & big business more that your ideals & morals, VOTE REP. and send us all to hell.

[Shanon]

"Gee what a surprise more and more posts by naive liberals who won't address any of the factual points in my post..."

What factual points? All I hear is name-calling and nonsense. And as soon as you use the word "Liberal" you reveal yourself to be a fanatically partisan GOP talking-point zombie. If you have a point, make it --why do people always have to resort to partisan labels.

For all those who are now conflating EXXON and CHEVRON with USA since they're American companies you really need to look into how much of their profits really end up here in AMERICA. They are multinational companies with global interests and could give a crap about Americans like you or me. And if we didn't have 30 years of Reaganomics ruining all of our trade protections foreign companies wouldn't be screwing us like they are now and outsourcing wouldn't be growing faster than hiring here in America.

And those who are all about drilling answer me this: Why doesn't EXXON drill on the 96 million extra oil-rich acres they already have ready for drilling? More land for them just artifically bumps their stock prices. That's it. It has nothing to do with helping our energy problems at all it's just another way of making a few billionaires richer at the expense of the rest of us --just like every other stupid Republican policy.

Bottom line is we tried it your way for 8 years Republicans. You can't blame Pelosi's congress because they can't pass anything without Republicans filibustering it or having it vetoed. So here we are. If you really like where we are --and want to see it get worse, vote for McCain.

[Bo]

All the problems that the government created was with John McCain in the Senate. The man is owned and operated by big oil and big business. John McCain went from straight talk to straight bull. America needs new leadership not old McCain with old Bush/Cheney ideas.

[Tom]

HAHAHAHAHA You McGrampa supporters crack me up...you act like little school girls

[mike]

How can the security man McCain ask to built more nuclear power plants. HOw well did we handle even our nuclear material? Each nuclear power plant is a potential risk factor. Imagine terrorists get a hold of the radioactive waste ..(dirty bombs).... or would happened if they get inside a nuclear power plant and would initiate a mega gauss blow up!! thinks just about Chernobyl and the area that is directly in danger... We have other routes then nuclear energy!!

[mike]

R. Jackson...Rev wright??? you are so last month!

[John]

Obama is a nit-wit. It's his power driven Congress after 2 years that boasts of an approval ratings of 9% that is responsible for the gas policy. They go on a 5 week vacation and Pelosie and her cronies tell the American people to tuff it out. I hope and pray that all the encumbants are thrown out of office on their ears and we start a new group with the understanding they will be out if they don't conform to all that is right!
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Judging by what you wrote above I am sure that you are one of the illiterate people that gave us G. W for two terms. With you not being able to spell anything I am sure that you are going to once again mortgage the future of the unfortunate ones that look up to you by voting for McCain. A leader reflects the majority of the society, with G. W as the president of this country…. Enough said. I wish you the best

[Rick Ferri]

Obama's plan to nationalize the profits of oil companies sounds much like Chavez’s effort to socialize Venezuela’s oil industry. If there is one way to stop dead any plans for exploration and a search for alternative energy, it is to take the profits from oil companies.

BTW, I own stock mutual funds that own Exxon-Mobil stock. Those are MY oil profits that Obama wants to confiscate! Who are Americans ever going to save enough for retirement if Obama steals money from the profitable industries?