Barack Obama

RNC claims Obama contradicts himself on nuclear power

Perhaps in response to Barack Obama’s criticism of McCain on nuclear power yesterday, the Republican National Committee is circulating a research piece claiming the Democratic candidate has flip-flopped on the issue, citing quotes and videos of Obama. The quotes: From the CNN/YouTube Democratic debate in Charleston, S.C., in July 2007: “I actually think that we […]

Talking with voters in Portland about the environment and the election

 

This is part of a series of dispatches from Melinda Henneberger, who's talking to voters around the U.S. about their views on the environment and the election.

Portland, Ore. -- Oh, the indignity of tooling around environmentally aware Portland in a big-dog SUV, in between conversations about the environment. Even the guy at the rental-car counter was apologetic: "I know," he said, when I gulped at the news that my economy car had been super-sized. "No one wants them, but we have to give them to somebody."

Just as gay people grow up and move to San Francisco or New York, green people grow up and move here. Years before I began sorting bottles and cans on the other coast, my buddy who is a Kansan-turned-Oregonian was struggling to convey just how bad her new boss really was: "Melinda," she finally told me, "he does not even recycle."

My friend's next-door neighbors are transplanted Texans, Linda d'Onofrio and Andrew Migliore, who as d'Onofrio says "came here for local produce and a forward way of thinking." Even so, it took them a while to settle in with their chosen tribe: "I didn't grow up around political correctness, and we had a hard time the first couple of years," says d'Onofrio. "We'd say tasteless things about everybody's race, religion, animals; we'd make kitty taco jokes" -- not widely appreciated by "people who will stop you on the street and tell you what they think of your Hummer." Now, though, this is home, and the whole moment is more subdued: "My sister's a true Communist who goes around the world teaching micro-banking, my brother's a true Fascist with his boots in the corner, and we used to have the best conversations, but all the fun has been sucked out of that. The conversation has stopped because it's not funny anymore; you can't make jokes about Abu Ghraib and melting ice caps."

Obama heads to Nevada, takes on McCain in energy policy address

Not to let John McCain have all the attention on energy policy this week, Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama gave a speech on energy today in Springs Preserve, a 180-acre area in Nevada dedicated to sustainability. “What we are seeing here … is that a green, renewable energy economy isn’t some pie-in-the-sky, far-off future, it […]

Obama calls for regulation of oil markets and decreased dependence on oil

On Sunday, Barack Obama promised to end unregulated oil speculation and close the “Enron loophole,” which he says are at least partly to blame for rising gasoline prices. “For the past years, our energy policy in this country has been simply to let the special interests have their way — opening up loopholes for the […]

Obama sweet-talks Florida, criticizes McCain’s shift on off-shore drilling

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama responded to John McCain’s call to end the moratorium on off-shore drilling in a press appearance in Chicago on Friday and made his own appeal to the voters of Florida: When I am President, I will keep the moratorium in place and prevent oil companies from drilling off Florida’s coasts. […]

Groups make joint announcement in Cleveland

The Sierra Club and United Steelworkers made a joint announcement this morning in Cleveland that the groups are throwing their support behind Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama. “We believe Sen. Obama is the change our nation needs — he is the leader who will put America on the path to a clean energy economy that […]

Public trusts Obama more than McCain on gas prices, global warming, energy

Interesting results from a new ABC/WaPo poll. Who do Americans trust more on the economy? Obama 52%, McCain 36% How about gas prices? Obama 50%, McCain 30% Global warming? Obama 55%, McCain 28% Energy policy? Obama 51%, McCain 36% Issues where McCain is more trusted: international affairs, war in Iraq (by one point), and war […]

Gore endorses Obama, says candidate has what it takes to tackle climate crisis

Al Gore endorsed Barack Obama on Monday evening in Detroit, Mich., calling him “a candidate who, in response to those doubting our ability to solve the climate crisis and create a bright future, inspired millions to say, ‘Yes we can.'” “For America to lead the world through the dangers and opportunity we’re seeing before us, […]

Gore’s endorsement speech

Here’s a live stream of Al Gore endorsing Barack Obama, starting any second now: