GOP Nominee
Former Candidates
Here is Sen. McCain’s speech from Jackson, Ohio earlier today:
It’s time to get America’s economy moving again. Companies like Merillat and families across Ohio face challenges in their businesses and around the kitchen table. And obviously, energy prices are too high. We’re losing jobs. Our housing market is on the decline. And the cost of everything is going up. And in the face of this, Washington is on vacation.
In the face of a severe energy crisis, the Congress decides to go on a five-week vacation. When I’m president of the United States, I will call the Congress back into session and tell them to act and not to leave town, to take their vacation or their pay raise until they address this energy crisis. And now is the time for action.
We need an all-of-the-above plan to address our energy crisis, with alternative energy, drilling, and nuclear power. That means drilling here, drilling now, in the United States of America and off the United States of American’s coast.
Everybody knows that drilling is a very vital part of bridging our gap between our dependence on foreign oil, which is transferring $700 billion a year to countries that don’t like us very much. And we have the — we have the resources to be explored and exploited, and we could obtain some of the benefit of that within months.
My opponent, Senator Obama, opposes both storage and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. He opposes offshore drilling immediately, and he’s out of touch.
And we need to crack down on those who have abused our credit market and caused this housing decline. We need to take action to support American businesses so that we can stop jobs from going overseas and create more jobs here at home.
America has the second highest business rate in the entire world. It’s any wonder that jobs are moving overseas. We’re taxing them out of the country. Unfortunately, Senator Obama’s plans would raise taxes on businesses even more. He’s promised tax increases on income, tax increases on investment, tax increases on small businesses. That’s exactly, exactly the wrong strategy. Raising taxes in a bad economy is about the worst thing you can do, because it’ll kill even more jobs when what we need are policies that create jobs.
What we need today is an economic surge. Our surge has succeeded in Iraq militarily. Now we need an economic surge to keep jobs here at home and create new ones. We need to reduce the tax burden on businesses that choose to make their home in the United States of America. We need to open new markets to U.S. products. And we need to reduce the cost of healthcare. And we need to end the out of control spending in Washington that’s putting our debt on the backs of our children.
Now’s the time for action, and when I’m president, we are going to get it done.
I want to say again to the people here at Merillat, thank you for your hospitality. Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for your obvious dedication to safety. I’m very impressed by your industrial safety record and your teams that have made such an outstanding record possible. And obviously, Karen Strauss (ph) and John Lewis (ph) and the entire team here, thank you very much.
August 7th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
That’s a good way for McCain to frame his argument.
August 7th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
McCain can’t make an argument about needing an economic surge while at the same time painting himself as an opponent of corporations.
August 7th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I listened to some of this, and it was pretty good. He said Obama’s plan was more like a public service announcement (inflate your tires).
August 7th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I like it! (With a few exceptions.)
August 7th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
#2, did you actually read the above?
This is an excellent move by McCain.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Further proof that a Romney VP nod is in the works… First the “Washington is broken” ad the other day, now the “Economic surge” line which is eerily reminiscent to Romney’s “Surge of support”…
August 7th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Why does McCain perpetuate the falsehood that “[oil] is transferring $700 billion a year to countries that don’t like us very much” Canada and Mexico come to mind… #’s 1 and 3 oil exporters to the US
August 7th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Jeff, its a global market. Which is kind of what makes this whole “drilling” argument kind of silly.
I don’t understand what calling congress back in immediately would do for our energy “crisis” (and I don’t think we really have a “crisis” on our hands, just some pain).
If we have oil reserves offshore or in Alaska, or wherever, the question isn’t whether we should drill for that oil. The question is when. Because even when we drill for it, the additional oil that we get out will have a very small effect on the world market for oil.
Also, isn’t McCain totally wrong in saying we could benefit “within months” of expanded drilling?
August 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
#8 SteveS
“Also, isn’t McCain totally wrong in saying we could benefit “within months” of expand ed drilling?”
No, McCain is correct, we will see an immediate price reduction once they announce expanded drilling. Commodities are always forward looking so the impact would be felt at the pump immediately, the talk of possible drilling alone has brought prices down a bit over the past few weeks.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
#9: Bingo.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
#7 Jeff, Do most of us not believe in the free market?
Yes, Canada and Mexico are friends, but what about the millions of high paying jobs that come with expanding production? They have had near full employment in Alberta for years. Why do we not want the same?
August 7th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
What about fixing entitlements?
This wasn’t bad but I want more from the ol’ JMac.
August 7th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
This is definitely a good underpinning to start with. Go JMac!
August 7th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Does no one seem to think that most of the problem with the economy is the *result* of politicians thinking it’s their job to meddle in the affairs of the market? I love the talk about lowering taxes and whatnot but anytime a politician says “We need to take action” I vomit a little in my mouth.
August 7th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
The bulk of the problem with the economy has to do with the energy situation. COngress is responsible for not allowing the free market to operate by disallowing drilling where it is most economical to do so.
Sending 700 billion to other countries each year cause our dollar to be very weak, and the extra employment that will come from providing our own energy will be a great improvement for our economy.
I like using the economic ’surge’ terminology; now we just need someone to spearhead it!