Arnold’s Subtle Digs at McCain and Crist over Offshore Drilling
July 6, 2008 · Print This Article
When you can’t legally run for President, it frees you up to say the darndest things. Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared at the Florida Climate Change Summit in Miami last week, where he subtly blasted Florida governor Charlie Crist and Republican President-Wannabe John McCain for supporting offshore drilling.
From TampaBay.com:
But he appeared to issue a firm rebuke to politicians (including Senator John McCain and Crist) who have suggested ending a ban on offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. “Anyone who tells you this will lower our gas prices anytime soon is blowing smoke,” he said.
Schwarzenegger’s press spokesman Aaron McLear called me a short while ago to stress that this comment was NOT directed at Crist or McCain, and instead was targeted specifically at the impact of offshore drilling on gas prices. “He was not referring to either one of them. Neither Crist nor McCain has said offshore drilling is going to immediately reduce gas prices,” McLear said.
However, the California Governor remained firmly opposed to offshore drilling, McLear added. “He doesn’t believe in offshore drilling. Her certainly doesn’t agree with McCain and Crist on that.”
I don’t know about Crist, but McCain has certainly hinted that offshore drilling will lower gas prices, an attempt to gain approval from voters desperate for some help. Seems like Arnold’s trying to get his point across without causing a rift.
Arnold, a self-proclaimed ‘green Republican’, has seen a lot of criticism himself for his attitude about how we can stop global warming – as Bill Walker of the Environmental Working Group put it, “He’s not sounding an alarm; he’s reassuring us that everything will be all right. We can have hot rods and clean air! Relax, have a cigar.” Arnold has also taken millions of dollars from oil companies over the years. Murky waters, indeed, but we’re glad to have Republicans who are at least headed in the right direction. It’s going to take both parties to effect real change.
Link [TampaBay.com]
Photo credit: Getty Images
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We live in a global market for oil and the problem with drilling is that even if we drill everything we can we are talking about single percentages — if that — of global supply. This means that we share any benefit of more oil with Chinese and Indians and everyone else who needs oil. And it means the price change will only be a blip if anything.
In addition, it will take many years to get this oil, by which time, who knows, we might have got our act together and started to conserve and find alternatives.
As far as governors go, he really hasn’t screwed too much up while he’s been in charge around here. People freak out when education gets cut ever, but the deficits that year were such that EVERYTHING was getting cut, as no one would agree to tax increases. I also like the “no vacation till we balance this, gentlemen” approach to the budget.
Also, most of the news he generates is somehow related to “holy cow, the Terminator is a governor!” That means that there is little “holy cow, California is screwed!” news. And for a politician, no news is good news.
I’m a bloody liberal, but the democrats would have to find a real candidate for me to vote against the devil we know.