I recall how a McCain aide who shall remain nameless recently assured a gathering of conservatives that the candidate’s economic team was well aware of the incompatibility between McCain’s CO2-rationing or “climate” agenda on the one hand, and avoiding policies that might exacerbate our economic slowdown on the other — noting that he had in fact made clear that raising taxes was precisely the wrong thing to do at such a time. My counsel was to encourage the candidate to avoid unforced errors like making statements that would be used against him if he won, just as George Bush’s staff-created “promise” to regulate CO2 provided much ammunition against him later.
Well, judging by a report today on Greenwire (subscription required, unfortunately), it turns out that the candidate’s aides can’t contain themselves, so it seems entirely appropriate to call for an open discussion of the issue.
After all, presumptive Democratic nominee Obama has come out in favor of the Exelon/nuclear-industry approach of immediately auctioning off ration coupons (which the nukes would be spared from buying), as opposed to giving them away for free to utility windfall profiteers, as occurred to disastrous effect in Europe.
Let’s have that debate.