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Biden Says No to Coal Plants in America
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ShareSeptember 23, 2008 1:08 PM
ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports: A conflict over clean coal is brewing on the campaign trail after video surfaced of Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., telling an anti-pollution campaigner in Ohio that he does not support coal plants in America.
Approached following a rally in Maumee, Ohio, last Tuesday, Biden was asked by a campaigner for 1Sky, an organization against the development of new coal-fired power plants, why he supports clean coal at a time when “wind and solar are flourishing here in Ohio.”
The animated, close-talking Biden then put his hands on the woman’s shoulders and launched into a passionate, finger-wagging argument that he and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., do not support clean coal.
“We're not supporting clean coal,” Biden said. “Guess what? China is building two every week, two dirty coal plants. And it's polluting the United States, it's causing people to die.”
“So will you support wind and solar and alternate technologies?” the woman questioned.
“Absolutely, before anybody did,” came Biden’s reply. “The first guy to introduce a global warming bill was me 22 years ago. The first guy to support solar energy was me 26 years ago. It came out of Delaware.”
“But guess what?,” he continued. “China's gonna burn 300 years of bad coal unless we figure out how to clean their coal up because it's gonna ruin your lungs and there's nothing we can do about it.”
“No coal plants here in America!” pledged the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. “Build 'em, if they're gonna build 'em, over there and make 'em clean because they're killing ya.”
No sooner had the video surfaced then Republicans pointed out that Biden’s answer conflicted with Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention last month when he proclaimed his ticket’s support for clean coal development.
“As president,” said Obama, “I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology and find ways to safely harness nuclear power.”
And Biden’s remarks also stood in stark contrast to his own comments this weekend at the United Mine Workers of America annual fish fry in Castlewood, Virginia, when he told the miners that “we have enough coal in the United States of America to meet our needs domestically for the better part of the next 100 to 200 years.”
The Obama-Biden ticket, however, denounced GOP claims that Biden’s Ohio remarks were evidence that the Democratic pair opposes clean coal as “another ham-handed lying attack from the McCain campaign.”
“This is yet another false attack from a dishonorable campaign,” said Biden spokesman David Wade. “Sen. McCain knows that Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden support clean coal technology. Sen. Biden’s point is that China is building coal plants with outdated technology every day, and the United States needs to lead by developing clean coal technologies.”
“If Senator McCain is so committed to clean coal,” Wade wondered, "then why hasn’t he joined Senators Obama and Biden in announcing their support for the bipartisan energy proposal before the Senate today that would invest billions in clean coal projects? He should explain why his support for tax breaks for big oil outweighs his support for clean coal.”
“You know we have enough coal in the United States of America to meet out needs domestically for the better part of the next hundred to 200 years,” Biden said before launching into a critique of McCain’s energy priorities, slamming his support for billions in tax breaks for oil companies as the industry rakes in record profits.
“Imagine ... what Barack and I can do taking that $4 billion … and investing it in coal gasification, finding out what we can do with carbon sequestration, finding out how we can burn the coal that you dig that can free us from being dependent on foreign oil countries and at the same time not ruin the environment. That’s within our capacity to do it, if you give me $4 billion I promise you, I promise you we will find the answer,” Biden said.
September 23, 2008 in Biden, Joe | Permalink | User Comments (94)
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"i'm Joe Biden"
Biden was talking about after the crash...duh.
how dumb does America have to be again to fall for this bologne and changing the meaning of sentences
like they have for 8 years.
Biden WAS talking about clean coal technology.
Posted by: dl | Sep 23, 2008 1:44:51 PM
PALIN WAS ASKED A QUESTION!!!!!
Posted by: listen | Sep 23, 2008 1:45:00 PM
THIS IS STUPID!
Posted by: EVE | Sep 23, 2008 1:45:56 PM
so where are we going to get our electricity from you idiot?
A) largest domestic resource the US has for generating electricity - coal.
B) Clean tech coal is available
C) Biden - stop being a retard!
D) People do like lights, IPod, cell phones, computers, etc... which, by the way are all powered by electricity.
E) Biden is rich - so cheap coal electricity makes no difference to him - and I guess all the rest of us paying three times as much for wind or solar is ok then.
F) another retard from the left. period.
Posted by: Robert NYC | Sep 23, 2008 1:46:22 PM
OK, to cater to the Hollywood Tree hugging campaign donors, Obama/Biden will basically shut down coal mining and anything that currently is non-environmental for the benefit of the wealthy Hollywood people, while the hardworking people of involved in mining lose their jobs. The solution is "clean burning" which will cost Americans more to heat their homes, and that will be difficult without a job. Change is great, but let's do it in a sensible manner, we need to be self supporting, then diversify.
Posted by: nelson | Sep 23, 2008 1:47:29 PM
the fake dl spin spin spin
like the last 9 years.
if America was dumb enough to fall for your illogical and without facts arguments that you put up...
they would get what they deserve...
fool america once
shame on you
fool america twice...blame is split
fool america a thrid time...
then they are just plain dumb and get what they deserve.
Posted by: dl (the real one) | Sep 23, 2008 1:47:50 PM
He said "King Coal," like "Big Oil"; ya know? Listen.
Posted by: Elle | Sep 23, 2008 1:48:29 PM
This gets funnier by the day. Biden has learned to walk with both feet in his mouth!
Obama picked the right guy for his ticket: one loser to go with another.
Posted by: Sharlena | Sep 23, 2008 1:48:52 PM
biden was talking about dirty coal morons
same team same morons who try to spin...and gave us the last 8 years...
9th year. throw these spinning hiding lying covering up moron bums out.
Posted by: dl (the real one) | Sep 23, 2008 1:49:45 PM
"“This is yet another false attack from a dishonorable campaign,” said Biden spokesman David Wade. “Sen. McCain knows that Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden support clean coal technology. Sen. Biden’s point is that China is building coal plants with outdated technology every day, and the United States needs to lead by developing clean coal technologies.”
What a joke. Biden says something straightforward THAT CAN NOT BE "TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT" and Obama says republicans are dishonest and we are stupid because we listened to what Biden SAID. Obama needs to watch out because Biden keeps saying the true stances of the democrats and they need their false facade to get elected.
Posted by: Cryos | Sep 23, 2008 1:49:56 PM
Obama could supply half the US energy needs by running a giant generator with his hot air!
Posted by: dl | Sep 23, 2008 1:51:06 PM
The Obama campaign is trying to brand mccain as a liar so that they can get away with anything.
The video doesn't neither tells the truth or lies, it just is. And what Biden is telling the voters is that he doesn't support the coal industry in the US.
I really don't think the voters of Appalachia should support Obama/Biden in the fall, unless they want to lose their mining jobs.
Posted by: Dorothy | Sep 23, 2008 1:52:52 PM
THIS IS A STUPID POST! Biden simply confused a word, which happens a lot on the campaign trail in ALL FOUR of the candidates. They are clearly sleep deprived and have too many speeches to master at the same time. His statement reminds me of the yes/no back and forth game where you try to trip the other person by making them they say the opposite of what they intend. A good journalist would draw his attention to that and allow him to correct it.
TAPPER LIKES TO STIR THE POST, CREATE FALSE CONTROVERSIES AND WASTE PEOPLE'S TIME WITH DISINFORMATION. It only undermines his credibility in the end.
Posted by: Eve | Sep 23, 2008 1:53:20 PM
Eve
You mean like gorgeous George did when Obama admitted he has Muslim faith?
Posted by: dl | Sep 23, 2008 1:55:26 PM
Hey Bhrandon, wow.... how could anyone vote for Obama who is untested, and under qualified to be on a presidential ticket?
Posted by: Jerry | Sep 23, 2008 1:55:35 PM
Everybody knows that Obama is supporting clean coal technology. Everybody also knows that Biden is proned to the occasional gaffe. I would be lying if I did not said I wish he would keep his gaffes down to zero. But at least he is out there and not hiding like Palin is, taking her foreign policy lessons today at the UN from Kissinger of all people.
Posted by: Jake | Sep 23, 2008 1:55:48 PM
Jake
Obama and Biden are jerks who cannot sing out of the same song book. Pretty simple!
Posted by: dl | Sep 23, 2008 1:57:33 PM
“We're not supporting clean coal,” Biden said. “Guess what? China is building two every week, two dirty coal plants. And it's polluting the United States, it's causing people to die.”
I don't know if the democratic party thinks that democrats are stupid or what? I listened to his audio and he was against goal plants in American. And now they accused McCain of lying. Which side are they on? For Coal or against coal. Or maybe they are the lying party that say whatever people want to hear to get elected.
Posted by: shina | Sep 23, 2008 2:02:28 PM
Where is Carla Fiorina, or whatever? His biggest financial advisor, backer , whatever? He is not smart enough to run HP, and SHE GOT A HUGE Parachute? 24000 layoffs...Maverick? Cmon, where is she? GONE, why? Because she told the truth, he is too OLD, and she is a Slamhound.
Posted by: Jobamatx | Sep 23, 2008 2:03:03 PM
1 doctors visit away from Palin? Really? Meth capital of the world...bunch of bridges to nowhere? Cmon, trig, track, nip, tuck, and the THE FIRST DUDE? Is really wearing a GOATEE? Cmon, representing you and me in the world? WOW
Obama 08
Posted by: Jobamatx | Sep 23, 2008 2:05:14 PM
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