Lies, Damn Lies, and the McCain Campaign

John McCain has morphed into Dick Cheney's evil twin, hellbent on destroying the possibility of ever having serious energy and climate policy in this country. All those who care about peak oil or global warming must work together to ensure his cynical lies don't triumph.

Yet Cheney never pretended to believe in the threat global warming poses to our nation and the world. McCain, however, did at least pretend, which makes his outright mockery of the primary solution -- energy efficiency and conservation -- something more than just classic Rovian lies and damn lies. Let's call them soul-destroying lies.

Once McCain was a lonely voice in the conservative movement pushing real action on global warming and opposing phony solutions like offshore drilling. True, like most conservatives he opposed and still opposes incentives and standards for renewables as well as levels of vehicle fuel economy needed to actually move us toward energy independence. And yes, McCain has walked away from serious climate policy in recent months (see McCain's climate plan = Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic).

But McCain now sees his only road to the White House as lying again and again to the American public:

We need to off-shore drill for oil and natural gas," McCain said, "And anybody who says we can achieve energy independence without using and increasing these existing energy resources either doesn't have the experience to understand the challenge we face or isn't giving the American people some straight talk.

There is no truth whatsoever in that statement. The amount of offshore oil currently unavailable for drilling is negligible and even Bush's own energy analysts admit that. The amount of offshore natural gas currently unavailable for drilling is not a substitute for oil now and never will be. Anyone who claims otherwise doesn't have the experience to understand the challenge we face and isn't giving the American people some straight talk.

But even more destructive to any hope of serious national discourse on our energy and climate problem is this:

"We're not going to achieve energy independence by inflating our tires," McCain said.

Aside from the fact that Obama never said that, in fact, we cannot possibly solve our energy and climate problems without such efficiency measures, as Obama's comprehensive plan, unlike that of John McCain, clearly understands.

As we've seen efficiency and conservation measures available to all Americans and now can deliver at least 10 times as much oil as we are going to get from coastal waters in 15 years. And that doesn't even count the vastly larger savings from even tougher fuel efficiency standards, which McCain opposes. Sure, like Bush and Cheney, McCain was never someone who believed in energy efficiency (see "McCain on energy efficiency: He is Cheney's third term!") -- but now the entire Republican Party is mocking energy efficiency and conservation by handing out tire gauges and lying about them.

As one commenter on HuffingtonPost has noted, "If [conservatives] do, in fact, distribute tire gauges it will one of the most beneficial things they've done for the general populous in at least the last 28 years."

The media refuses to police the most absurd of McCain's energy lies, such as his claim of oil producers "within a matter of months [of ending the federal moratorium on coastal drilling], they could be getting additional oil" (see "Note to media: Are you going to allow McCain to just make up stuff on oil drilling?") If you want some typically mindless political coverage of McCain's tire gauges ploy that focuses on its political value rather than its accuracy, read ABC's popular The Note (but I would recommend doing so on an empty stomach).

That leaves only progressives to save the debate from descending to drilling vs. tire gauges. McCain may be trying to sell the last vestige of his soul for the Presidency, but we mustn't buy it. Those who genuinely care about what peak oil and catastrophic climate change will do to this country must speak up now. The stakes have never been -- nor will they ever be -- higher.

Comments

[BethStuart]

Each day, McCain's campaign seems more and more to be based on Joseph Goebbels' big lie technique. Just repeat the same lie over and over so after a while people begin to believe it because they've heard it so many times before.

[GreyFlcn]

So is the new meme McCheney?

[JJeff88]

McCain isn't Cheney's twin.

McCain is Cheney.

(Think about it - you never see the two together).

[joebhed]

When you say progressives must speak up to defend the environment, who exactly do you mean?
Those 14 true progressives who support Barack Compromise Obama?

There are half-a-gazillion middle of the road democrats who will support Obama's compromise on opening up the R-I-G-H-T-S that the American people now own to areas of resource exploration, and for transferring those R-I-G-H-T-S to the money-grabbing oil companies, that are, in turn, supporting a bunch of Democrats running for Congress.

And once those R-I-G-H-T-S to that oil have been let to the oil companies, and they have id'd a couple of million barrels and a hefty $50 BILLION on T-H-E-I-R balance sheets, they will be looking for more of the American people's R-I-G-H-T-S.

And, hey, what's a little more compromise?
That's what the Obama-ites tell us here every day.

Sorry, but true progressives will NOT support this BS energy policy.

IF Obama (that was not a typo) had a principled energy plan that was distinct from McCain, he would be on TV today, challenging McCain to debate him, wide-open, this Sunday in Austin Texas on NOTHING BUT ENERGY POLICY. And get this charade behind us.

But he doesn't.
And, he won't.

Sound-bites.
Rationalizations.
Triangulations.
Compromise.

Change I can't believe in.

Voting Nader/Gonzalez '08.

[KHAAANNN]

"Voting Nader/Gonzalez '08" Right. You and 20 other people................
Enjoy your martyrdom.
I'm SURE people will notice you Piously struggling and bleeding on your cross and the huge SACRIFICE you have made to defend YOUR PRINCIPLES, you narcissistic idiot.
And just think, if ENOUGH people follow your enlightened self-centered viewpoint, you can succeed in getting JOHN McCAIN elected.

[flatus]

Nader/Gonzales...hehehe

[slg]

The stark reality is the right wing won't change their lifestyle 1% to protect the Planet that sustains them and they certainly feel entitled to every drop of oil even if it means future generations will have to go without.

[kellamd]

I don't blame McCain. I blame Obama for playing softball while the competition is playing hardball. Democrats are going to lose this election because they refuse to stand up and act like democrats. Do Republicans worry about polls? No. They don't and I admire them for that. Democrats look like a bunch of craven cowards. I didn't vote for Hillary because she rubber-stamped the Iraqi war. I wanted a Democrat who wasn't afraid of being a Democrat and now Obama is trying to act all centrist when America is crying for a leader to get them out of the mess GWB left.

[robbep]

cldnt say it better myself. Obama is a timid, compromising, finger in the wind politician who will lose in November to a feeble old man. Americans are ready for change but it has to be dramatically different than what we have currently. O has lost the wind that was pushing him by being a middle of the road typical politician. FOR HIM TO COMPROMISE HIS POSITIONS ON THE CAMPAIGN IS SUICIDAL! YOU COMPROMISE WHEN YOU GOVERN NOT WHEN YOUR CAMPAIGNING! He really is both sides Barack.

[Coattails]

Ok, so, if we can get an extra 3% from offshore drilling from what is already leased (which is about 1/6 of what we think is out there in US waters). That would drive down gas prices by about a dime, I don't know about you, but every little bit helps.

But, if everything was tapped asap, look, that would be about a 60 cent reduction, getting us even closer to below 3 bucks a gallon.

I already get my tire pressure done regularly and new air filters when needed, which makes extremely minor differences. Look at Qatar, a tiny nation in the middle east, they just hit the jackpot in natural gas they didn't even know existed, imagine if America just happened to hit a reserve noone knew existed. Just remember, they discovered oil in Saudi Arabia in the 30's, searching for water.

Limited drilling might be holding us back, the fact is, America might never get out of dependence of middle eastern oil. Be glad the UK and France propped up so many Kings, Sultans, and Emirs over that part of the world so that those nations respective (and ridiculously rich) royal families will hold us over until we get reliable energy sources.

Green energy might get us at a maximum 20%, and will take years to build, by then, that will be less than 20% of what this nation uses, nuclear is clean, and safer than oil, coal, or natural gas even with the risk.

[BCubedReg]

I hate it when people spout their opinion as fact. "Green energy might get us a maximum 20%".

Are you an energy analyst? Environmentalist? Off-shore oil drilling consultant? Where did you get your 20% statistic? -- Out of your rear?

Fact is, no one knows how much oil is off the U.S. coast or how much renewable energies could contribute to reducing our dependence on foreign oil because we have not exploited renewable energy strategies or dirlled off shore. But we do know that we will not be able to get to that off-shore oil for at least 15 years.

More importantly here is a conservation fact... in May of this year as prices continued to climb, the american driver drove 3% less resulting in the recent gas price declines(average 35 cents) at the pump. If we inflate our tires, we could get another 3% reduction in oil use. The price of oil is high because we use it. If we decrease our dependence on oil, the price will go down.

We need to be looking at renewable and green energy not just as an interim solution until we can capture off shore oil, we need to look at renewables as the replacement to off shore oil. By the time we get to it, we might not need it.

[Coattails]

I have heard 20% tops, I believe that is even part of the Pickens plan (proposal, depending on how many billions of dollars you want to go for it in your taxes.

A high school in my metro area recently erected a windmill, and it supplies all the energy they need.

Reality is, the speculators from the mutual funds, which love Obama, and have donated tens of millions towards getting him in office so far as to date, have ruined our dollar. Now the reason we finally see a recess in our oil prices is because people are actually driving less, but come on, most Americans do own tire gauges.

Obama's plan assumes noone uses one uses a tire gauge or ever replaces their air filter, that would get him the maximum if and only if nearly every car didn't do it. Fact is, whenever you get an oilchange, they do it for you... so moot point, unless the majority of Americans don't change their oil, and if noone did, why would oil be any issue?

[joebhed]

Dear Coat,

Here's a little secret.

When ANY of that oil comes out of the ground, IT DOES NOT CHANGE OUR RESOURCE SUPPLY !!

It belongs to international oil companies the DAY you sign those leases, meaning that the international oil market will provide the price that you say would look better if we drilled.

The Saudis have ten times the amount of the oil we want to transfer to the oil corporatista, already identified, already drilled, and ready to increase the supply. The world oil market does NOT need more supply.

So, do a little research on global petroleum economics and politics, and come up with a new plan.

I really like your obvious sincerity.

But, I wish it were better informed.

[Jimmy11]

It is a minor point, Coattails, but you're also being robbed by the filter folks who even have the government telling us to change filters. Any auto made since about 81 has a closed-loop fuel system and a dirty filter will not hurt fuel economy. It can hurt power, but if you can't feel the loss, don't touch the filter. The chance that you ever have to change an air filter is very small, unless you travel on dirt and gravel, and even then you won't clog the filter unless you're driving behind someone. Add the fact that a dirty filter filters better than a new one, and that the biggest source of debris in engines is the act of changing the filter, we could save all the energy it takes to make filters and spend the filter cost on something like gas or efficient bulbs.

[Faith101]

Everybody need to stop bashing the candidates for trying to do something about this mess. We complain, we complain and we complain. But you know what. A lot of people keep voting against their interest. What part of the consensus that America ONLY has 3% of oil to be drilled. Mind you we use 25% of the world's oil supply. Are we that afraid to try something new? Do you rather fight another war to try and steal the oil? Wake up America, we are neck deep in oil doo doo. We have got to evolved with the 21st century. We are no longer the lone super power that we think we are. China and India is rising really fast. It is time for some bold moves. Young people need to pay attention. The baby boomers have made their money and lived probably more than half their life already. They won't be here to fight this struggle or fight the next war. Baby boomers: Think about your own offspring.

[phae100]

The whole point now is to dismantle their corrupt machine. Dismantle their way of doing politics, dismantle their media monopoly, dismantle their talk radio.

And start our own Everything. And take back our country from the blockheads.

[AmHope]

Perfect title. No doubts there.

[Driver125]

It's not as if someone has not mentioned the true facts about additional drilling. It would seem that the main problem would be the majority of Americans who don't want to hear that or refuse to accept it. How much time can Obama expend trying to convince someone of a fact that they don't want to believe?

[iyamchazz]

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

[joebhed]

Wow !

Ignorant one here.

What are the true facts about additional drilling, again?

[GLaB]

I have a real question, here. If the American people are actually responsive to attempts to get them to conserve; and if there is a huge improvement in gasoline efficiency ready at hand in simply inflating our tires properly - shouldn't we see some measurable improvements soon due to Obama's call?

Or is it a little more complicated than that?

[ignrnthllblly]

If + If = more complicated than that

[Agent420]

Hay! Pay attention! I'm only going to say this once!

There are NO, none, nada oil rigs available to drill any more holes in the Earth. They are all in use.

[joebhed]

Thank God for small favors.

[certainot]

mccain is flip flopping toward limbaugh so limbaugh and the rest of the talk radio monopoly can be one big happy family in october. limbaugh and the talk radio bandwagon of prechewed talking points are essential to the GOP media machine and limbaugh is certain global warming is a commie plot. mccain HAS to catch the limbaugh ride or he'll be nowhere fast.

[AzRealProgressive]

McCaain appears to care less about limbaugh. And the reverse seems to be true.

[certainot]

they're on the same team and neither wants Obama, a smart charismatic black man, possible liberal, in the White House.

the hypocrisy and ass kissing ability of republicans can never be underestimated and limbaugh is already coming around. so is mccain. on the limbaugh side he doesn't want to be a loser so he'll be cautious. mccain has shown with his support for bush hell do anything.

the talk radio monopoly does the groundwork for the GOP media machine. limbaugh and sons main function is to swiftboat obama and they don't have to support mccain at the same time, but they will. if there was a daily searchable transcript database the limbaugh mccain love affair could be charted.

[angelhare]

Beware.... The McCain tire guages are not accurate.......Wait for the Obama guage that will be current and accurate(digital). Just like mccain, his guages are for amusement only.

[RepugsOut08]

HuffPost's Pick

Damn! I used my McCain tire gauge today, and it told me my tire was properly inflated when it was almost flat! My McCain Iraq gauge told me the surge is working, and my McCain economy gauge told me don't worry, be happy. I can't wait to get my McCain thermometer that will tell me that health care cost are at a record low! ; )