Is McCain Serious About Cap-and-Trade? Economic Advisor Steve Forbes Doesn’t Think So

Written by Timothy B. Hurst
Published on August 1st, 2008
7 Comments
Posted in Climate Change, Liberal, US Election

Speaking on CNN last week, former GOP presidential candidate and current McCain economic adviser Steve Forbes belittled the likelihood of McCain’s plan to combat climate change actually coming to fruition.When asked about the economic impact of McCain’s proposed cap and trade, Forbes almost scoffed at the idea of such a policy ever actually being taken up. Forbes said:

“I think cap and trade is going to go the way of some other things. As you may remember, when he came into office, Bill Clinton had a proposal of tax carbons and stuff like that. I don’t think those things are going to get very far as people start to examine the details of them.”

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Throughout the Republican primaries John McCain continually pointed to his support for a carbon cap and trading program and the legislation he co-sponsored with Joe Lieberman as one of the critical differences between himself and the other Republicans - as well as between himself and President Bush.

So, is McCain saying one thing on the stump and then planning something completely different with his economic advisors?  The McCain camp has issued no statement on the Forbes remarks - but I’m sure they’ve seen the video.

If Mr. Forbes was speaking out of turn then why doesn’t the McCain camp distance themselves from Forbes by reiterating their support of cap and trade?  Without any such action, one can only assume that Forbes’ remarks were not too wide of the mark in terms of Mcain’s priorities.

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7 Comments

  1. 1
    Max Gladwell said on August 1st, 2008 at 8:27 pm

    Gotta love how so many of McCain’s supporters are cutting him off at the knees with independents. Forbes is just another in the long line.

  2. 2
    Timothy B. Hurst said on August 1st, 2008 at 9:24 pm

    I know, Max. If McCain has any chance of going after the middle it would be with his enviro. policy. But I still haven’t come across any sort of official statement from McCain HQ, either. Hmmmmm.

  3. 3
    Latest Zogby Poll Finds Statistical Dead-Heat Between Obama and McCain : Red, Green, and Blue said on August 6th, 2008 at 10:05 am

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    Forget Cap and Trade; Cap and Dividend is the Way Forward : Red, Green, and Blue said on August 22nd, 2008 at 1:01 pm

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