McCain’s Colorado River Gaffe Might Cost Him Key Western States
John McCain has again said something to cause his fellow western-state Republicans to wince at his political inexpedience and apparent naivete for the issue at hand. And even though the Senator has now recanted and begun damage control, Democrats are hoping that this one will cost him. Some even argue that the gaff was so severe, he may have just lost Colorado.
McCain told The Pueblo Chieftan last week that he wants to renegotiate the 1922 Colorado River compact to re-appropriate water from the upper basin states, like Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming, where the river originates and give it to lower basin states like California, and his home state of Arizona. McCain said:
“I don’t think there’s any doubt the major, major issue is water and can be as important as oil. So the compact that is in effect, obviously, needs to be renegotiated over time amongst the interested parties. I think that there’s a movement amongst the governors to try, if not, quote, renegotiate, certainly adjust to the new realities of high growth, of greater demands on a scarcer resource.”
“Over my cold, dead, political carcass,” said Bob Schaffer, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. “The 
compact is the only protection Colorado has from several more politically powerful downstream states. Opening it for renegotiation would be the equivalent of a lamb discussing with a pack of wolves what should be on the dinner menu.”
John Redifer, political science professor at Mesa State College, said McCain’s position makes sense in light of Arizona’s needs, but not as a national policy. “I wonder if he is running for president of the United States or for something in Arizona when he makes those statements,” Redifer was quoted as saying in the Grand Junction Sentinel. “I’m really kind of surprised that someone running for president … that needs to carry the state of Colorado would make a statement like that.”
This shouldn’t even be an issue for Californians — we should’ve put in desalination plants, like the ones they have in Iran, 20 years ago.
We have had the very same feud in the east between my home state of Alabama and Georgia. We cannot begin a policy where cities are able to monopolize water resources to ensure unfettered growth indefinitely into the future. If California, Georgia, Arizona have such a desperate need for water that they would consider stealing it from their neighbors they they should be willing to switch to gray water recycling as well as desalination prior to stealing the resources of fellow citizens and (in the case of Alabama) endangering their lives by not guaranteeing there would be enough water to cool our nuclear power plants.
Just awesome. Once again, McCain has opened his mouth without thinking.
I think the problem, Brian, is that he has publicly sided with one side of a long-standing struggle for resources. He doesn’t intend on doing what is right by Colorado. He intends on helping arid states like Arizona exploit another state’s resources. If you truly believed in Ron Paul’s message, then you would know that Dr. Paul does not believe in using the Presidency or indeed the Federal Government as a force to meddle in the affairs of states.
Who cares if Colorado dries up and blows away as long as Arizona can have more golf courses.
Stopover, if you believe that, then Obama is savvy enough to know the issues and how people feel about them. With McCain, however, it’s plainly obvious that he’s oblivious.
MICHIGAN and the other Great Lakes States, YOU’RE NEXT!!! Wars will be fought over water, and here it begins!
@Bill D
It doesn’t matter where the water comes from that is used on recreational facilities, you shouldn’t water large areas of the desert for grass. Golf courses are absolute water pigs. I might be more accepting of ball fields which are generally no more than the size of one or 2 golf holes and support many more users. It is a disgusting misuse of resources where water is so valuable. That effluent should be treated the final 10% and recycled for POTABLE use in desert areas.
Yawn…this is just another liberal blog trying to smear McCain. They take a quote out of context and deliberately misinterpret it order to make him look dangerous. Just the like non-story about his ‘7 homes’ which he does not actually own. They are owned by his wife and his wife’s family, mostly as investments, and several are just condos.
Mccain is totally right the 1922 Colorado River compact should be renegotiated. In 1922, the Colorado River was running at peaks highs, the early 20’s being very wet years, dendrochronology records have shown this to be true. In 1922, we made the bad assumption that high flow of the river was normal, and we over allocated the river. Since then, we have learned that Colorado typically doesn’t have that kind of water flow, and the annual flow has been decreasing over the years. Ultimately, we are taking out more water than we should be. Its sad to think that one of earth’s greatest desert rivers doesn’t even make it to the ocean. So yes we do need to renegotiate the compact, we need to give water back to the river. However, with the demand for water increasing in the west, do we really think the colorado river basin states will agree upon less water? I don’t think so. Opening the compact up for renegotiation probably would be a bad idea: it wont be peaceful, and ultimately wouldn’t return over allocated water back to the river.
LOL, I still cannot believe that ANYONE is taking McBush seriously. He is such a total MORON.
RD
http://www.crypt.alturl.com