Media Stumping for McCain on Global Warming

I wish I could say I cannot believe my ears, but it's happened too many times to not believe it. I am watching MSNBC and on both Matthew's and Gregory's shows, McCain is being quoted and quoted over and over about how much he cares about global warming and none of the commentators have even attempted to bring up McCain's real recond on global warming which is that he's missed every single global warming related vote in 2007. He has a zero rating from the League of Conservation Voters.

What was really stunning was his comment about the Kyoto treaty: "I will not accept the same dead-end of failed diplomacy that claimed Kyoto." While the Senate never got a chance to vote on the actual Kyoto treaty (the only vote ever taken was only a sense of the Senate resolution long before the agreement was finalized), McCain has always voted for trade agreements that harm the environment including his consistent votes in favor of Fast Track authority for the White House on trade agreements, taking away Congress' power to add environmental restrictions. His support for emissions caps was far less that Kyoto required, and before it ultimately failed, had been stripped of requirements to get back to 1990 levels by 2016. McCain never voted for any funding of alternative transportation and always voted againt funding Amtrak. He's also demostrated hostility to funding research on renewable energy and hostility toward more restrictive state renewable energy standards. McCain prefers nuclear energy as the alternative.

While not the absolute worst on the environment, I don' t think McCain deserves any pats on the back for his inconsistent support for the environment and the media should call him on it when he makes it an issue.