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McCain Lambasted By Panelist at Energy Event

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June 24, 2008 3:13 PM

ABC News' Bret Hovell, Jennifer Parker and James Gerber Report: Sen. John McCain faced opposition both inside and outside a California campaign event designed to tout the presumptive GOP nominee's energy plan.

During a roundtable discussion on energy security at Santa Barbara's Natural History Museum, one of the panelists invited by the McCain campaign to sit onstage beside the candidate -- disagreed with the Arizona senator's energy plans and lambasted his nuclear energy proposal.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

"I'm a little bit bemused that I ended up on this panel," said Michael Feeney, chair of the Santa Barbara Land Trust, a non-profit conservation group.

He excoriated a proposal McCain outlined last Wednesday to build 45 new nuclear plants in the United States by 2030 and another 55 in later years.

"I don’t understand how it’s not compromising our environmental standards to propose a crash program to build more nuclear power plants when the industry has not complied with the federal law that requires there to be safe disposal for the radioactive waste," Feeney said.

McCain responded by citing the example of nuclear technology in Europe and Navy ships powered by nuclear energy.

"My friend, the technology is there. The Europeans do it. I mean it's safe. It's being done. So, to think that that is going to require some pain on the American people economically when the Europeans-- 80 percent of the French electricity is generated by nuclear power. They are doing fine," McCain said to applause from the audience.

"It's not a technological breakthrough that needs to be taken," McCain said, "It's a not-in-my-backyard  problem, we have got to have the guts and courage, to go ahead and do what other countries are doing and they are reducing the pollution to our environment rather dramatically without any huge pain to anybody," McCain said.

"And I'd like to have you respond but the United States Navy has sailed ships around the world for 60 years with nuclear power plants on them, we have never had an accident, we have never had a problem. And I think the world is safer, the world is safer due to the presence of the United States navy with nuclear power ships on them," McCain said.

Feeney also highlighted McCain's new-found support for U.S. off-shore oil drilling as a way to decrease domestic gas prices.

"It makes me nervous to think about those who are proposing to drain America’s off-shore oil and gas reserves as quickly as possible in the hopes of driving down the price of gasoline," Feeney said. "Were we to open up the California coast ... it would be twelve, 15 maybe 20 years before those resources came online and got to full production. That’s not going to impact the price of gasoline any time soon."

Feeney expressed skepticism about McCain's promise to find technological solutions to combat global warming, including his Monday promise that if elected, he would propose a $300 million prize for the development a car battery that weans America off oil.

"I'm a little less optimistic about technology solving all our problems," Feeney said, "I’m a little less optimistic, particularly the Congress, being able to put its arms around these issues in a productive way."

"You’re reflecting recent polling numbers my friend," McCain joked.

Feeney suggested McCain's policies signaled a rolling back of environmental protections, and urged the presumptive Republican nominee to level with the American people about what's needed to turn things around.

"I appreciate the spirit that you’re trying to promote, I hope that the Republicans and the Democrats can work together on a sensible energy policy, but I think we have to be very cautious about what I see as signs that we need to roll back environmental standards," Feeney said.

"I also think that I’d like to hear more national leaders telling the American people that there is going to be pain and disruption and adjustment to our way of life in this country to address these challenges. I think too rosy of a face is being put on it."

Outside McCain's campaign event at the Santa Barbara about 100 protesters gathered, chanting "No new drilling!" and holding signs that read: "McCain: Some Nerve. Coming here to try to sell Earth-desecrating policies to us!!!"

Read more about the protest HERE.

June 24, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (133)

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Is John McCain his own worst enemy? I think he has done more damage to his campaign than all his opponents put together!

Posted by: looville | Jun 24, 2008 3:34:09 PM

looville: could not have said it better.

Posted by: becky | Jun 24, 2008 3:42:54 PM

Wow! I didn't think Captain Flop could listen to scientists. Or as he calls them "wizards". Still it doesn't seem like he knows really what he is talking about and he's just talking crap a lobyist told him to say. Was he on the first nuclear ship? Just wondering.

Posted by: Joe | Jun 24, 2008 3:44:00 PM

Would Obama have someone on stage who disagrees with him? He can't even have some women in head wraps. And we have seen how Bush has always loaded the audience with only his loyal supporters. I think McCain is giving us a view of realizing that everyone won't agree. I also chuckle when people say "it won't provide any help for ten or fifteen years" yet there isn't anything that will help us tomorrow besides saying that no one can drive for pleasure.

Posted by: lordy lordy | Jun 24, 2008 3:44:53 PM

To Becky:

McCain has people who disagree with him on his panel.

McCain gives the press unprecedented access on his bus and plane and press conferences.

McCain holds press conferences.

McCain holds town hall meetings all the time. McCain allows dissent. Obama doesn't.

Obama gives the press no access.

Obama won't hold town hall meetings with McCain.

Obama is all packaged and has the liberal media let him get away with it and fawn on him with great packages.


This election is a disgrace. Most unfair election coverage in our history.

This is what happens when 85 percent of the media favor one party.

Posted by: Doug | Jun 24, 2008 3:49:34 PM

lordy lordy: Obama wants to shut down the Enron loopholes, McCain voted yes for them, now if he can get this done it is said by the experts that we will save 30% to 50% OVERNIGHT in our cost in gas.

Now why is this not top priority?

Posted by: becky | Jun 24, 2008 3:50:55 PM

The wackos were saying the same things 20 years ago. If we drilled back then we would have the oil flowing. and it doesn't take that long.

Posted by: geevill | Jun 24, 2008 3:52:55 PM

John McCain is a good man but clearly in big trouble. He should never have put himself in a situation where a person he invited disagreed with him. Looks like he's letting the party call all of the shots... which helps explain why Obama will win it in a cakewalk.

Posted by: Champ | Jun 24, 2008 3:53:27 PM

I love how McCain always says "my friend". It makes him seem even more disingenuous than ever. Who wants someone who sounds like a used car salesman for President? McCain is indeed his own worst enemy. Keep campaigning, "my friend"... keep campaigning hard. You're doing yourself in.

Posted by: Cat | Jun 24, 2008 3:53:47 PM

The best and easiest way to drive down oil prices is to quit driving for pleasure and car pool to work. But whats getting me is I don't think its a supply problem. Production hasn't droped off and demand has at least in this country gone down from last year. Then China ends subsadies and our gas drops by $4 a barrel but gas still goes up. I'm confused somebody is screwing alot of people, There is more than market forces at work here. so were I agree yes we need to drill here but no they don't need more land because they don't use the land they got. Why? because it's cheaper to buy the oil from them then gear up to do it ourselves. this open more land dispute was just brought up to give the "news" something to report and give the canidates an issue.

Posted by: Joe | Jun 24, 2008 3:53:57 PM

Doug: sorry! I would never vote for McCain, my family is to important to me.

Posted by: becky | Jun 24, 2008 3:54:07 PM

The wackos were saying the same things 20 years ago. If we drilled back then we would have the oil flowing. and it doesn't take that long.

Posted by: geevill

----------

Then why hasn't the Bush administration drilled on the land they already have available during the past 7 years? I'll give you a clue: M-O-N-E-Y. If they've been doing such a fine job, why are we in this mess? They had a full term and a half-term with control of the presidency and the congress.

Posted by: looville | Jun 24, 2008 3:55:57 PM

Becky, Americans aren't the only ones speculating on oil and the producers are going to sell to the highest bidder. The only short term solution is if we don't buy oil and let the speculators take their losses.

Posted by: lordy lordy | Jun 24, 2008 3:56:20 PM

Geevil has been afraid of his own shadow for 7 plus years. Now that misery is about to be removed, he's standing on top of his Ford Truck screaming at the top of his lungs,

"I LOVE MISERY"!!!!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!

Geevil, my friend, you should be ashamed of yourself. We know you're miserable and we know that misery loves company, but you might want to go back to your cave.

HOPE IS ON THE WAY.

OBAMA 08

Posted by: Nat Turner | Jun 24, 2008 3:56:46 PM

Doug are you nuts? Were have you been getting your "liberal news" from? All I see everyday on this website is ABC digging up crap on Obama. We don't hear about mccains fund raising investigation,we don't hear how him and Huckabee are getting along, We don't here about his shady pastors or shady friends or The KEATING FIVE! There is at least 3 times as much dirt on Mccain than Obama he's been around longer. But you don't hear about it.

Posted by: Joe | Jun 24, 2008 3:59:29 PM

McCain thinks he's getting lambasted now, just wait until that first debate between him and future POTUS Obama.

Obama is not only going to lambast and expose him. McCain will also be embarrassed and written off as an out of touch, grumpy old man who needs to shoo the neighborhood kids from walking on his lawn.

McCain will be made quick work of over the coming months.

POTUS OBAMA

Posted by: Nat Turner | Jun 24, 2008 4:00:14 PM

mccain why dont you go retire now in a home your an old fool and the more you talk the more you lose do us all a favor go away far away

Posted by: angie | Jun 24, 2008 4:01:13 PM

Funny how we see things from our own perspective. I saw this story and thought: "Uh-oh, he messed up again." McCain backers saw it and thought: "What a man! He invites those who disagree on stage with him!" Hmmm, which of us is correct??

Posted by: looville | Jun 24, 2008 4:01:25 PM

Obama is trying to end the U.S. addiction to oil and so we won't be dependent on the Saudis and OPEC members.
If we drill and 20 years from today we have oil. After 40 years the oil runs out... what then?
We go back to the Saudis?
Drilling won't solve the problem.

Posted by: Vanessa | Jun 24, 2008 4:01:41 PM

Dear American Voters, reporters, media. professionals, political parties, and presidential Nominees,


Please plead and request the media, pundits, and politician's to "Compare And Contrast" " Presidential Temperament" of our Presidential presumptive nominees? as we do for the appointments for the Supreme Court Justices of Our Greatgrand Nation.

Yours truly,

COL. [retd] A.M.Khajawall
Disabled American Veteran
Forensic psychiatrist, Las Vegas

PS: Please talk about the " Presidential Temperament, Composer, Consistency And Caliber " is the key for our presumptive presidential Nominees. We do talk about the "Judicial Temperament" of our Supreme Court Justices nominees and so far we have failed to talk about the " Presidential Temperament " of our presumptive presidential nominees. The " Presidential Temperament " is the ultimate and in my opinion only requirement of our president as that effects every living soul here and around the world.

Thanks once again.

Posted by: COL.[retd]A.M.Khajawall | Jun 24, 2008 4:03:18 PM

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