John McCain No Friend of Energy Development, Says Bob Barr

“Energy prices continue to rise as politicians try to win political points, but none should be given to Sen. John McCain,” says Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr. “Sen. McCain likes to present himself as Sen. Straight Talk, but his record on energy makes Sen. Double-Talk a more accurate nick-name. In fact, John McCain has been on both sides of most important energy issues.”

The U.S. has reached a crisis point on energy, observes Barr. “We need strong, committed leadership to eliminate unnecessary and counterproductive federal regulations, which block energy exploration and development within our own borders. We also must cut special interest subsidies, which waste taxpayer money and distort the market.” Unfortunately, that leadership will come no more from Sen. McCain than from Sen. Barack Obama.

“Sen. McCain has been against exploring the Outer Continental Shelf, but now says he’s for it. He resolutely opposes opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but recently said he might revisit the issue,” notes Barr. Sen. McCain once gloried in his opposition to ethanol, but now he promotes the wasteful, heavily subsidized fuel. “He used to oppose mandatory federal energy standards—which are inefficient and force economic developments to follow Washington’s political line—but he now favors forcing automakers to convert cars to alternative fuels,” says Barr.

“So where does Sen. Double-Talk really stand on any of these issues,” Barr asks? “And where will he stand next year, and the year after?”
Increased energy prices and supply uncertainties put America’s economic future at risk. “We need a president determined to make America’s own energy resources available for development, and to eliminate the regulatory barriers that limit gasoline supplies and hike gasoline prices, by, for instance, preventing the construction of new refineries,” Barr insists. “Americans must look outside of the two major parties for the tough, realistic leadership that we need.”

Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003, where he served as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, as Vice-Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, and as a member of the Committee on Financial Services. Prior to his congressional career, Barr was appointed by President Reagan to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, and also served as an official with the CIA.

Since leaving Congress, Barr has been practicing law and has teamed up with groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the American Conservative Union to actively advocate every American citizens’ right to privacy and other civil liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Along with this, Bob is committed to helping elect leaders who will strive for smaller government, lower taxes and abundant individual freedom.