John McCain

McCain’s ‘Farm and Ranch Team’ is chock full of agribiz heavies

In a recent Victual Reality column, I gave John McCain his due for holding fast to his positions against crop and biofuel subsidies — even if his overall farm policies generally suck. In an attempt to boost his flailing campaign and shore up support in the Farm Belt, the self-declared maverick may be abandoning those […]

Palin again mangles facts on energy

On Wednesday, John McCain told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that his VP pick Sarah Palin is “probably one of the foremost experts in this nation on energy issues,” and reaffirmed his desire to put her in charge of energy policy in his administration. But on Thursday, Palin once again mangled the facts about energy issues, […]

Obama and McCain advisers spar over whose candidate can best address climate change

Last night, the PBS program Frontline hosted a sneak preview of its new global warming documentary, “Heat,” which will air on Oct. 21. The film covers both the science and the politics of climate change, and we’ll have more on that for you soon. More interesting for political junkies, though, was the panel afterward, which […]

Town hall again reveals just an anti-science, out-of-touch McCain

Few qualities are more dangerous in a national politician than a lack of interest in — or understanding of — science. It represents a genuine risk to the health and well-being of the nation and the world. We get to see something close to the real John McCain only when he lets down his guard […]

Can you see Russia from behind that skirt?

“This may sound gratuitous, but at least because Gov. Palin — Sarah Palin is so persuasive, I would like to come to Alaska. I haven’t been there in many years anyway, maybe I’ll agree to go visit that area and have a look.” — Sen. John McCain, continuing the slow walkback of his longstanding opposition […]

McCain and Palin talk energy with Fox’s Sean Hannity

In an interview Wednesday with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Republican presidential candidate John McCain again suggested that he’s willing to reevaluate his opposition to allowing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. “At least because Gov. Palin is so persuasive, I would like to come to Alaska. I haven’t been there in many years anyway, […]

Enviros cheer debate talk about climate and energy, but want more details

Say what you may about last night’s debate, but it was anything but boring for enviros. Even if the candidates largely recycled preexisting talking points on energy and climate, the mere fact that both issues got top billing in a presidential debate was an historic first. “What strikes me as important is that energy has […]

Why did McCain sell out to Big Oil? Ask Charles Keating

John McCain’s new coziness with Big Oil is in many respects just a replay of his old coziness with Charles Keating. In both cases, money and access bought influence. Let’s start with oil. Last month, Time reported that McCain tapped a “prominent Washington lobbyist,” William E. Timmons, Sr., to run his transition, should he win […]

Ingrid Jackson’s question about climate change put candidates on the spot

For the first time in this year’s presidential debates, the two candidates were asked point-blank about what they would do to address climate change in the first two years of their administration. Ingrid Jackson asks the candidates about environmental issues. This morning, Grist caught up with the young woman who asked the question — Ingrid […]