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Reality check: McCain eyes independents with ad on economy, environment

By Raj Chohan, CBS4

Published July 1, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Sen. John McCain's "global" ad focuses on his plans for dealing with the economy and environmental issues to stress that he's not just a national security, war-on-terror candidate.

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Sen. John McCain's "global" ad focuses on his plans for dealing with the economy and environmental issues to stress that he's not just a national security, war-on-terror candidate.

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The ad from Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain called "global" focuses on the environment and the economy. It's aimed at independent voters, and tries to put some distance between McCain and President Bush.

Ad: John McCain stood up to the president and sounded the alarm on global warming five years ago.

The claim is true. McCain has been one of the leaders in the U.S. Senate to bang the drum of climate change. In 2003, he and Sen. Joe Lieberman teamed up in an unsuccessful attempt to impose carbon caps upon industry.

Ad: Today he has a realistic plan that will curb greenhouse gas emissions . . .

That's a campaign promise. McCain's realistic plan to cut greenhouse emissions is a variation on the so-far unproven cap- and-trade system being used in the European Union.

In Europe it's still a painful work in process. So far it has driven up the cost of energy while failing to effectively reduce carbon emissions.

The Europeans predict that will eventually change. U.S. lawmakers are currently looking at ways to learn from the mistakes of Europe, but no one's figured out cap-and-trade just yet, including John McCain.

Ad: . . . a plan that will help grow our economy . . .

According to his Web site, McCain's long-term economic plan calls for middle-class, corporate and entrepreneurial tax cuts. In the short run he wants to halt deposits to the strategic oil reserve to create more domestic fuel supply.

He also wants a summer gas-tax holiday, and he wants to end ethanol subsidies because of their impact on food prices.

Ad: . . . a plan that will help grow our economy and protect our environment . . .

It's a promise on which McCain has some credibility, but the environmentalists view the senator's record as wildly erratic on green issues. While he's a big supporter of combating carbon emissions, his 2007 voting record drew a zero rating from the League of Conservation Voters, because he skipped every vote the LCV cared about.

Environmentalists are also critical of McCain's friendly relationship with oil and gas interests, and his desire to expand offshore drilling.

Ad: . . . reform, prosperity, peace . . . John McCain

Bottom line, John McCain is aiming for the independent. In this ad he tries to show he's not just a national security, war- on-terror candidate. He makes the case that he is also thinking about climate change and the economy.