Let the Record Speak: McCain and Obama on Energy

That said, are their any bills that deal directly with the Science Debate 2008 answer? For Kersh, the secret to reading the intentions of the candidates are the bills that the candidates introduced themselves. For Obama, that means his American Fuels Act of 2007 (S 133). This bill highlights an interesting absence in Obama’s Science Debate answer: Ethanol. Obama’s American Fuel Act focuses almost entirely on ethanol, a product he has backed for a long time. Yet despite Obama’s legislative focus on ethanol, the terms ethanol and biofuels don’t appear in any of his Science Debate answers, let alone the answer about energy policy.

For McCain, the centerpiece of his energy policy is the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Acts of 2003, 2005 and 2007. While the 2003 version of the bill only dealt with reducing carbon emissions, the 2005 incarnation of the bill added substantial resources for the development of alternative energy and nuclear power. The bill would have funded the design of new nuclear reactors, supporting McCain’s Science Debate answer promising the construction of new nuclear power plants and research into wind and solar.

On the question of energy, it seems that McCain can back up his Science Debate 2008 answer with a history of supporting wind, solar, and nuclear power. Obama on the other hand showed off his skill as a politician and lawyer through the sin of omission. While his Science Debate answer didn’t explicitly say he would pursue the development of a bio-fuels industry, it did fail to confront his legislative legacy of support for corn-based ethanol.

Tomorrow, we look at science education and find out which candidate can answer President Bush’s famous question: “is our children learning?”