John McCain does support aggressive development of alternative and renewable energy sources

This week, Barack Obama's attacks against John McCain's "All of the Above" energy plan have centered on two major distortions: that John McCain does not support alternative energy and that John McCain supported the Bush-Cheney energy policy. Both assertions are false.


First, Barack Obama is misleading the American people when he says that John McCain does not support the development of alternative energy sources and his only solution to our energy crisis is offshore drilling. In reality, John McCain has outlined a comprehensive energy plan that takes an "all of the above" approach to achieving strategic independence from foreign oil.


This means John McCain does support aggressive development of alternative and renewable energy sources.. He will support the development of alcohol-based fuels, establish a permanent research and development tax credit to support energy innovation, and will encourage an even-handed system of tax credits for renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and biomass.


However, unlike Barack Obama, John McCain believes that as we move to the energy of tomorrow, we must also develop more existing energies here at home through resources like offshore drilling, nuclear power and clean coal technology. Experts agree that we must do both. Barack Obama's belief that we can achieve energy independence without these resources is simply not realistic and reflects either inexperience on the issue, or a desire to give people what they want to hear, rather than giving them the facts.