Subject: [big campaign] BREAKING: McCain admits he trusts Big Oil execs more than independent experts
From: "Berning, Nick" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2008 15:48:04 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

http://action.foe.org/t/4027/pressRelease.jsp?press_release_KEY=407

For Immediate Release

August 1, 2008

Contact:

Nick Berning, 202-222-0748

McCain Admits He Trusts Big Oil Execs More than Independent Experts

ORLANDO-At a campaign event today Sen. John McCain rejected the
consensus view of independent experts
<http://climateprogress.org/2008/06/18/eia-bombshell-offshore-drilling-w
ould-not-have-a-significant-impact-on-domestic-crude-oil-and-natural-gas
-production-or-prices-before-2030/>  that offshore drilling won't impact
gas prices.  McCain said he believes oil company executives instead.

When told that new offshore drilling would not yield results for
decades, McCain said, "I met with oil executives just a few days ago ...
and it is my view and that of oil company executives that ... we could
in a very short time have a beneficial effect [from drilling]. ... so I
disagree with those experts."

McCain added that he expects to see beneficial effects of offshore
drilling "within months."

Friends of the Earth Action spokesman David Hirsch responded with the
following statement:

"By all appearances McCain has lost touch with reality.  Just months
ago, he said
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/18/mccains-offshore-drilling_n_10
7872.html>  offshore drilling 'would take years to develop,' but now he
cozies up to big oil executives and rejects the advice of every
independent expert.  This blatant pandering is hypocritical, it's
ridiculous, and it's offensive.  We already have one oilman in the White
House.  We don't need another."

Not surprisingly, oil company executives' contributions to McCain have
been "gushing" recently:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR200807
2601891.html

Friends of the Earth Action opposes pandering and gimmicks and supports
real, comprehensive solutions to the energy crisis, including fuel
efficiency standards and public transportation to reduce demand, and
investments in affordable clean energy to increase supply.

TRANSCRIPT FROM TODAY'S CAMPAIGN EVENT:

JOHN MCCAIN (interrupting): "And by the way, Steve, keep drilling
offshore, pal! Thank you!"[...]

AUDIENCE MEMBER: "[...] You mention offshore [...] And I happened to see
on CNN last night, they were talking about this offshore drilling. And
that it would be at least 10-plus years before we get any benefit from
that. And that only 3 percent of the oil that we consume would [...]
come from the offshore drilling. And I want you to help us with the real
benefit of this. [...] As far as us receiving any benefit at the pump
[...] that it would close to 10 years before we would receive it [...]" 

JOHN MCCAIN: "I don't agree. In fact I met with oil executives just a
few days ago in California -- as some call it Cal-i-fornia -- and the
fact is that we can, using existing facilities, expand our oil
production within months, according to these executives. And the fact
that if we go offshore and if we find, as I'm confident we will,
additional  reserves of oil, that will have a beneficial effect. That is
economics: that if you have a greater supply, that it has an effect on
the price of whatever it is. And the fact is that in my view and that of
oil company executives that I've talked to--the people that actually do
it, not those that comment on television, but those that actually do
it--we could, in a very short time, have a beneficial effect as we
bridge the gap between our dependence on foreign oil and becoming energy
independent [...] So I disagree with those experts and I've talked to
the actual people that do the work, that are in the business that say
within months and certainly within a very short time, we could have
additional oil supply for this nation. So we ought to drill now."

To view video of the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOAIn2E8Bp0
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOAIn2E8Bp0> 

<http://issuealliance.box.net/shared/obj05wzk0k> ###

Friends of the Earth Action (www.foeaction.org
<http://www.foeaction.org/> ) provides extra muscle to our sister
organization, Friends of the Earth, in legislative battles affecting our
environment. FoE Action and our affiliated PAC also serve as Friends of
the Earth's political arm, making thoughtful political endorsements,
providing direct support to candidates, and placing environmentalists in
the field on critical campaigns. Friends of the Earth Action's mission
is to promote a clean, healthy and just world and to ensure that we have
lawmakers who will work to protect the environment.

--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "big campaign" group.

To post to this group, send to [email-masked]

To unsubscribe, send email to [email-masked]

E-mail [email-masked] with questions or concerns
 
This is a list of individuals. It is not affiliated with any group or organization.
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---