John McCain on Tuesday cast Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton as latecomers to the environmental battle, saying he would be willing to debate the issue with either of them in the general election to underscore his experience with the issue.
"People will trust my stewardship not only because of my background and knowledge, but also my vision for the future," he told reporters during a news conference at a nature center in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.
As much as I love to see anyone and everyone doing their part to be eco-friendly, I can't help but wonder if McCain is taking part because he really cares, or because he wants to benefit from the eco movement. I would personally love to see a debate on environmental issues between McCain and Obama or Clinton (preferably Obama, Clinton gives me the heebie-jeebies for some reason), so let's hope for that.
McCain has also started a promotional eco-friendly product line, for which he says:
"In our new store section, we're proud to offer eco-friendly t-shirts and polo shirts made from biodegradable fabric, as well as organic cotton hats and shopping bags. You can also buy travel mugs and notebooks made from recycled materials...Our campaign believes we can each do our part to protect the environment. You can take action today by visiting the eco-friendly section of our store."
A way to encourage the eco-aware to send a vote his way AND make some extra loot while he's at it? A diabolical genius!
Don't get me wrong, I don't know much about McCain, but it doesn't seem like an honest venture to me. A quick Google search returned me this article, from which I quote:
The Dineh-Navajo were quite literally swept off of lands they'd owned since 1500 A.D. by legislations authored by Senator McCain on a ruse that challenged their deeds to these lands, and handed the coal beneath them over to the largest unsustainable energy corporation in America.
If I can find this example of human rights violation and contradictory evidence to his eco-friendly claims in less than 30 seconds, what else is out there?
Thoughts?
Listed at Carnival of Political Punditry
May 14th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
[...] pblakeney.com wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt John McCain on Tuesday cast Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton as latecomers to the environmental battle, saying he would be willing to debate the issue with either of them in the general election to underscore his experience with the issue. “People will trust my stewardship not only because of my background and knowledge, but also my vision for the future,” he told reporters during a news conference at a nature center in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. [...]
Quote This CommentMay 14th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
First of all, thanks for your comment on my blog! It's always hard to tell with politicians; they do what they need to do to appeal to the people. but they almost always have a hidden agenda. I'm not surprised you found that kind of evidence. You have a great blog here; keep at it!
Quote This CommentMay 14th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
G. »
I agree, it is hard to tell with politicians. It does really make me wonder who actually believes in what they say, and aren't just saying it to get votes. I am usually a good judge of character, but it is so hard to tell when you only get to see the person on TV.
Quote This CommentMay 15th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Ok, this post is cracking me up. I know McCain was around when we celebrated our first Earth Day in 1970, he was like 80 then, right? But that in no way makes him more into the topic then the rest of the candidates. Unfortunately, it has taken many of us, me included, to realize how awful we have treated our home and I applaud anyone who wants to change their ways for the benefit of our environment, but the google search you came up with is scary scary stuff and proves the point that most politicians will say anything to get a vote.
Quote This CommentMay 18th, 2008 at 11:36 am
[...] presents McCain - Eco-Activist or Full of… Fertilizer? posted at Focus [...]
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