Energy - A Republican Strong Suit

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In a recess packet distributed to Republican congressional candidates, the NRCC encouraged them to use GOP efforts on the House floor to push the energy issue as the centerpiece of their campaigns as they head into the crucial month of August.

The documents suggest that candidates hold press events at gas stations and details a list of energy bills that the Democratic-led Congress has, and has not, allowed to be voted on during the 110th Congress.

A timeline and a list of Republican-sponsored, energy-related discharge petitions are also included in the recess packet.
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http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/run-against-the-gop-cole-tells-hopefuls-2008-07-31.html

Obama Fact Sheet
The League of Conservation Voters has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for President because his plan to stop global warming pollution will break America’s addiction to oil and will create jobs across the country. Moreover, Sen. Obama’s plan is more than words, it is backed by a strong environmental voting record and forward-looking policy proposals for America’s renewable energy future.

In his time in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Obama has been a consistent supporter and co-sponsor of pro-environment legislation, serving as a strong advocate for the environment. In the Illinois Senate, then State Sen. Obama earned a 100 percent “Environmental Voting Record Award” from the Illinois Environmental Council in 20031, which highlights his commitment to the environment at every step of his political career.
http://lcv.org/obama/obama-facts.html

McCain Fact Sheet
While the League of Conservation Voters recognizes Sen. John McCain is a candidate who is willing to engage in discussions on global warming, energy, and the environment, he repeatedly clings to outdated policies and flip-flops on core environmental issues. In his 25 years in Congress, McCain has faced 294 crucial environmental votes and he voted in favor of the environment only 71 times -- earning a lifetime score from LCV of just 24 percent.

In 2007, Sen. McCain scored 0 percent, due to missing all 15 votes scored, including the key vote on repealing tax giveaways to Big Oil -- a measure that failed by just one vote.1 This year, instead of exerting leadership on the key energy challenges facing the nation, Sen. McCain has offered a series of harmful policy proposals recycled from the Bush administration including an massive expansion of offshore drilling and major tax breaks for oil companies.2
http://lcv.org/obama/mccain-facts.html

http://lcv.org/newsroom/press-releases/new-hope-new-energy.html
07/21/08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joshua McNeil, (202) 785-8683 or joshua_mcneil@lcv.org

New Hope. New Energy

LCV Endorses Barack Obama

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), which works to turn environmental values into national priorities, endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States. At events in Colorado, Ohio, Montana, Michigan, New Mexico, and Washington, DC, LCV representatives and members joined elected officials and environmental champions to celebrate the endorsement and to discuss Senator Obama’s history of support for the environment and his plans for America’s energy future.

http://lcv.org/newsroom/press-releases/lcv-responds-to-lifting-of-executive-offshore-drilling-ban.html
07/14/08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joshua McNeil, (202) 785-8683 or joshua_mcneil@lcv.org

LCV Responds to Lifting of Executive Offshore Drilling Ban

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“Echoing the campaign rhetoric of Senator John McCain, President Bush has once again ignored the wise precedent set by his father and taken reckless action that has neither hope of reducing gas prices nor concern for long-term consequences,” LCV President Gene Karpinski said. “Bush’s own energy department tells us that offshore drilling will have no effect on gas prices, but Bush and McCain have always made Big Oil’s profits their primary concern. With several short-term options to reduce gas prices, including opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and reigning in speculators, it makes no sense for Bush and McCain to embrace an option that won’t work and will threaten the physical and economic well-being of millions of Americans.

Ultimately, the solution to gas prices must be to give consumers real energy choices by investing in efficiency and renewable energy sources, but Bush and McCain can’t see the future through the oil covered windshield of the Straight Talk Express.”

http://lcv.org/newsroom/press-releases/mccain-embracing-outdated-energy-policy.html
06/17/08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joshua McNeil, (202) 785-8683 or joshua_mcneil@lcv.org

McCain Embracing Outdated Energy Policy

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“Just mentioning the words ‘renewable energy’ doesn’t hide the fact that Senator McCain is now embracing the outdated energy policies of the past,” LCV President Gene Karpinski said. “If Senator McCain is serious about ending our addiction to oil and helping working families with inefficient cars, why has he voted against or missed every fuel efficiency bill since 1990? Drilling in protected areas offshore won’t solve our energy needs in the short term and in the long term, will increase the threat of global warming. We need to break our addiction to oil — not look for another fix.”

02/21/08
Presidential Candidates’ Scores

* The presidential candidates' scores all suffered from the occupational hazard of absenteeism. Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) missed four votes each in 2007, although both made a point of being on hand for the key vote that would have allowed a version of the energy bill to move forward that included a provision to repeal billions of dollars in tax breaks for big oil and put that money toward clean energy programs. Clinton’s score in 2007 was 73 percent (87 percent lifetime); Obama’s was 67 percent (86 percent lifetime).
* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) scored 0 percent in 2007 (24 percent lifetime) due to missing all 15 votes scored, including the key vote on repealing tax giveaways to big oil – a measure that failed by only one vote.