Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer was all over the energy issue in his speech tonight, ripping on John McCain's policies and calling for a new energy future.
"At a time when American families are struggling to keep their gas tanks full, John McCain voted 25 times against renewable energy, biofuels, solar energy. He even voted against wind energy," said Schweitzer. "At a time when Americans should be working even harder on new sources of energy, John McCain wants more of the same."
"He as taken more than a million from the oil and gas industries ... he wants to give those oil companies another $4 billion in tax breaks," he continued. "Four billion in tax breaks? That's a lot of change, but not the change we need."
He kept the one-liners coming.
"If you drilled everywhere, if you drilled in all John McCain's backyards, even the ones he doesn't know he has," said Schweitzer, to thunderous applause and cheers that cut him off from finishing the line. "That single-answer proposition is a dry well."
"There just isn't enough oil in America -- on land or offshore -- to meet America's energy needs. Barack Obama understands that the most important barrel of oil is the one you don't use."
He praised Obama's plan as comprehensive, calling for investment in improving fuel efficiency and creating plug-in hybrids. He's also a big supporter of coal, and made sure to throw in a shout-out for the industry: "Clean coal, solar ... we need them all."
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Comments View as Flat
greentiger Posted 3:58 pm
26 Aug 2008
coulda picked a better messenger
than the big west king of CTL... I haven't heard much from him on this front in a couple of years... has he altered his position at all? (the last line suggests not)
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PurpleOzone Posted 12:50 am
27 Aug 2008
media coverage
The TV channels ignored him in favor of their idiot talking heads masticating issues with Hillary into even more thorough puree -- until they noticed he caught fire with the crowd. Then I got to hear him.
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bluerock Posted 3:17 am
27 Aug 2008
No, he hasn't
He hasn't succeeded in anything but blowing smoke, but he keeps bringing in outfits claiming they will build a liquid coal plant.
It is fortunate that he only generically endorsed coal gasification with CCS, which -- although it's not real -- is at least theoretically consistent with his calls to address climate change. He has never dealt with the fact that you can't deal with climate change and promote liquid coal at the same time, no matter what.
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Russ Doty Posted 6:24 am
27 Aug 2008
CTL Sequestration Requirement
Gov. Schweitzer does indicate he wants all CTL plants to sequester carbon. He recently opposed the Highwood, MT coal plant for a short time until its proponents agreed to some carbon sequestration. An encouraging thing about the speech is that it did not mention nuclear as a solution. And the speech was vetted by Obama's people. Schwietzer has also ordered Montana's state agencies to conserve 20% by 2010.
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