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Palin Distorts Biden's Clean Coal Position
October 14, 2008 10:13 PM
ABC News' Imtiyaz Delawala and Matt Jaffe report: Gov. Sarah Palin distorted rival vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden's position on clean coal technology in his hometown of Scranton, Pa., today, inaccurately charging that Biden has said "there's no such thing as clean coal," while continuing to question Biden's support for the use of the technology in the United States.
At a rally in Scranton today -- at the same location that Biden had campaigned with Sen. Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton on Sunday -- Palin spoke extensively about clean coal technology, a critical issue in a region searching for new sources of employment in a struggling economy. Clean coal technology refers to removing impurities and carbon dioxide gases from coal to make its mining more environmentally friendly -- a still unproven technology that may have the potential to create new jobs as the U.S. seeks to reduce dependence on foreign sources of energy.
"So whether Joe Biden approves it or not, John McCain is going to develop clean coal technology here in America, and we’ll be looking to the good people of Pennsylvania to help us meet that goal," Palin said to strong applause and chants, of "Sarah, Sarah" from the crowd. "Our plan for clean coal is gonna create over 30,000 new jobs where they're needed most -- places like Ohio and West Virginia, and right here in Pennsylvania.”
"Now Joe Biden has said that there's no such thing as clean coal, when we talk about clean coal technology that's needed," Palin said, drawing strong boos from the crowd. "He said as a matter of fact that, even if there were clean coal that in an Obama administration it would be fine if say China used it but it wouldn’t be used here at home. Now that's nonsense."
Palin was referring to comments that Biden made in Maumee, Ohio, in September when the Democratic vice presidential candidate was asked while shaking hands with supporters why he supported clean coal, when wind and solar power are available.
"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 ... 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!" Biden continued. "Build 'em, if they're gonna build 'em, over there and make 'em clean because they're killing ya."
Biden was criticized for the comments given their inconsistency with his past statements on the issue, as well as the stated position of his running mate Sen. Barack Obama in support of clean coal technology. Biden, however, has never said that clean coal technology does not exist. And at the vice presidential debate between Biden and Palin earlier this month, Biden attempted to clarify his position in support of the technology.
“My record for 25 years has supported clean coal technology," Biden said. "A comment made in a rope line was taken out of context. I was talking about exporting that technology to China so when they burn their dirty coal, it won’t be as dirty, it will be clean.”
In St. Clairsville, Ohio, today, Biden again touted his support for clean coal technology.
“This is not rocket-science,” Biden said. “Coal, coal is part of our energy future, man. We have enormous reserves. Right now every single week in China they build a dirty coal plant that pollutes the West Coast of the United States of America and the environment. We can provide clean coal technology, not only exporting that technology and our coal, we can sell that technology, creating jobs to China, to India."
"This should be a win-win for us, if we just get off, off of being so beholden to big oil," Biden added.
October 14, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (106)
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Palin's charge is strictly false, but Biden is sort of getting away with that off-the-cuff comment to an environmentalist about "no coal in the U.S."
Posted by: matt | Oct 14, 2008 10:17:22 PM
That is a true statement as printed here in a Biden speech. Biden said no clean coal or any coal. Palin is correct in her statement.
Posted by: Independent Voters | Oct 14, 2008 10:25:51 PM
Christopher Buckley, the son of the respected conservative and the founder of the National Review, the late Bill Buckley (may his soul rest in peace) has resigned from National Review after endorsing Obama.
He was quoted as saying
" So, I have been effectively fatwahed (is that how you spell it?) by the conservative movement, and the magazine that my father founded must now distance itself from me. But then, conservatives have always had a bit of trouble with the concept of diversity. The GOP likes to say it's a big-tent. Looks more like a yurt to me.
While I regret this development, I am not in mourning, for I no longer have any clear idea what, exactly, the modern conservative movement stands for. Eight years of "conservative" government has brought us a doubled national debt, ruinous expansion of entitlement programs, bridges to nowhere, poster boy Jack Abramoff and an ill-premised, ill-waged war conducted by politicians of breathtaking arrogance. As a sideshow, it brought us a truly obscene attempt at federal intervention in the Terry Schiavo case.
So, to paraphrase a real conservative, Ronald Reagan: I haven't left the Republican Party. It left me."
This is indeed a historic moment! Republicans with a conscience are dumping the McCain-Palin ticket and voting for Obama-Biden ticket.
Perhaps there is a God, and America has a future after all!
Posted by: Jane Sixpack | Oct 14, 2008 10:26:17 PM
Did anyone hear Palin on Limbaugh's radio show today.
"I have nothing to lose" comment.
Oh, really?
I question her mindset with some of the things this woman spews.
No wonder many conservatives are distancing themselves from McCain and Palin.
I strongly predict her political career with the right wing may be history if they don't win this election.
Remember what happened with Linda Tripp?
Posted by: TRUTH | Oct 14, 2008 10:29:19 PM
Barack Obama is going to tax the rich and give to the middle class. Look at the dollar amount that will tax the rich and the look at the dollar amount the middle class will receive.
As of July 2007, the population was about 301,139,947 people. 1% of the population rounds out to about 3,011 will be taxed at about $93,709.
The lower middle class is about 20% of the population and is about 60,228.
Each lower middle class person receives a whooping $1.05.
If the next middle class group of 20% is included, that is about $0.525 per person. Since there is no real definition for the middle class, there is no reason not to include both lower middle class groups.
Therefore, which ever you decide is the middle class you will receive between $0.525 to $ 1.05 per person from the Obama taxing the rich claim. Do not spend it all in one place. If Barack Obama really wants to help the middle class American people, then he would have suggested the following:
1. Put a permanent freeze on all money going to foreign aid.
2. Return troops from the Middle East and give Israel full power to keep the
peace. In additions, give full support to Israel to keep the peace. If the Arabs do not like it, too damn bad for them.
3. No bailout agreement for the banks. No money going to failing banks.
4. Take over all mortgages under $300,000. Hold the mortgages like the
student loans.
5 No added taxes for anyone or business. The amounts collected are too small to realize any true gains. Printing and implementing the new tax laws will cost more than the tax collected.
6. Reduction or elimination of state taxes on private real estate property. If a state does not agree, the state receives no federal aid.
7. 40% pay cut for all state and federal employees. If a state does not agree, the state receives no federal aid.
8. States should collect taxes and give a portion of the tax money to the federal government and not the feds giving money back to the states. That would shrink the federal government and help eliminate federal tax abuse of money.
This is just for starters to cut the budget for Middle America for a return to better living. Obama and McCain talk a great deal and in the final analysis, it is the kind a change that stays the same.
Barack Obama leads McCain in bull throwing by 5%. Americans must wake up to the Washington, D.C. crap slingers. We need INDEPENDENT people in government and less government to control OUR money. We are NOT in need, government is in need. Too many government regulation swallow our money like a giant vacuum cleaner. Government sucks the life out of taxpayers. Barack Obama talks about redistribution of the wealth, it is the government that is too wealthy. Wake Up Americans.
Posted by: Independent Voters | Oct 14, 2008 10:30:03 PM
Distort, distract, smear more nonsense from the McCain campaign.
Posted by: jt1 | Oct 14, 2008 10:30:31 PM
What the F is false about Palin's charge? Biden said it so go F yourself Marxist idiots!
Posted by: t. hill | Oct 14, 2008 10:36:20 PM
Surprise, surprise.
Posted by: Rudy | Oct 14, 2008 10:37:23 PM
Anyone claiming only McCain distorts the truth and lies is too ignorant to see the truth as it is. Barack Obama is no different. Barack Obama hides from the truth and make grandiose statements that are lies and he knows they are lies.
Posted by: Independent Voters | Oct 14, 2008 10:38:14 PM
Biden can say he was misquoted. "Obama" is also misquoted in his book "dream of my father." That's because William Ayers wrote that book. See Jack Cashill's website. I'm reading AYer's "A kind and just parent" and it reads just like "Dreams."
Posted by: colonel reb | Oct 14, 2008 10:40:19 PM
But wait...didn't Biden say that?
I hope that the coverage of this election helps the American people see the mainstream media for what it is. The media has crucified Governor Palin from Day one.
All the negative smears about Governor Palin only makes me like her more.
She is Sarah Barracuda. A high school senior that led her basketball team to a championship title with a stress fracture, who ran state cross country, who hunts and fishes, who runs hills just because it hurts, who took on her own party and battled corruption. She represents the people.
Go Sarah!! We will follow. Lead the way for strong women everywhere.
Posted by: Janice Swanson | Oct 14, 2008 10:45:36 PM
Independent Voters: "
1. Put a permanent freeze on all money going to foreign aid.
2. Return troops from the Middle East and give Israel full power to keep the
peace. In additions, give full support to Israel to keep the peace. If the Arabs do not like it, too damn bad for them."
I love it. In the face of a $700 billion banking failure, you propose freezing the 20-odd billion dollar foreign aid budget. And then in your #2 point, you suggest we give "full support" to Israel to keep the peace - demonstrating your complete ignorance that the largest recipient of foreign aid is Israel to "keep the peace." So how are you freezing foreign aid while giving full support to Israel? Do you even know what the foreign aid budget is?
And the Republicans wonder why everyone thinks they are incompetent?
Posted by: jhw539 | Oct 14, 2008 10:49:01 PM
Independent Voters: "Anyone claiming only McCain distorts the truth and lies is too ignorant to see the truth as it is. Barack Obama is no different. "
Thanks to video records and the internet, voters are able to pretty easily test your statement. And the reality is McCain is lying far, far more. It is somewhat breathtaking how his campaign is repeating the same lies over and over (like Palin being against the bridge to nowhere).
Posted by: jhw539 | Oct 14, 2008 10:52:00 PM
WOMEN OF AMERICA UNITE!
UNITE AGAINST THE SEXIST MEDIA AND BARACK HUSSEIN’S MUGGING OF VICE PRESIDENT, SARAH PALIN!
Women must unite against the liberal media vicious, sexist, cruel, demeaning, contemptuous UN-AMERICAN, unfair, unprofessional, unrelenting and blatantly biased treatment against Vice President Sarah Palin and acting blatantly in favor of Barack Hussein Obama during this unprecedented historic quest for the presidency!
Barack Hussein Obama claims a mightier throne, one forged in liberal ideals of justice and equality and hope, BUT he has benefited mightily from sexism in this campaign, and has remained silent. Obama supporters seem very happy with the sexist way pundits and some news organizations treat any action or statement by Sarah Palin, and many believe that most of the "venom" in the campaign is coming from supporters of Obama.
WOMEN OF AMERICA UNITE IN THIS DEFINING MOMENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY. To ensure we can grow up from the male dominated government that has caused many of the problems our country is facing; to a country where men and women are equal partners in governance.
WOMEN OF AMERICA UNITE!
UNITE AGAINST THE SEXIST MEDIA AND BARACK HUSSEIN’S MUGGING OF VICE PRESIDENT, SARAH PALIN!
VOTE FOR MCCAIN/PALIN
Posted by: Manolete | Oct 14, 2008 10:52:35 PM
McCain = DISHONORABLE; Palin = SCARY!!!
Posted by: Howard Gallas | Oct 14, 2008 10:54:09 PM
I am SO SICK and TIRED of these lies dribbling off the spittled chin of this mistake of nature! Were her parents breeding for stupid or were the people who listen and believe her parent's?????
WHY does anyone even give this cretin the time of day? The poor genmetic misfit guys I can understand, they sit at home in the dark and do things not allowed in public but really? are there truly that many uneducated people in this country????
Posted by: Grissom | Oct 14, 2008 10:54:51 PM
Palin distorts...seems to be a common refrain.
Posted by: Mavericks Gettin' Mavericky | Oct 14, 2008 10:56:54 PM
Yes Janice, she is a Baracuda. A heartless,lying predator with no sense of her own limitations. Steely. Heartless. Completely devoid of the valuable feminine qualities a woman could bring to the White House, like brains, empathy, communication and collaboration. But I understand how that hill running thing makes it all work for you(?)
Buy hey, if that's what you want, you're welcome to it. You people keep shoting yourselves in the foot. And the rest of the world keeps shuddering.
Posted by: Naida | Oct 14, 2008 10:57:06 PM
This is the woman who drove up gas prices for the lower 48 by using a windfall profits tax to give (1) states's residents (Alaska) $1200 per yaer.
Posted by: Sue M Vet for Obama | Oct 14, 2008 10:59:35 PM
There is no such thing as clean coal. Geothermal is a far better and effecient alternative.
Posted by: hmn | Oct 14, 2008 11:00:00 PM
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