Palin disagrees with Obama—and McCain—on climate change

The Gal Who Would Be Veep: A college grad with a degree in communications journalism from the University of Idaho. Has admitted to smoking pot during her crazy youth, and that, predictably enough, she “did not enjoy it.” This makes her a follower of the Clinton Doctrine when it comes to weed, meaning that a politico can dare to admit to dabbling with reefer, but only as long as the dabbling was (A) during loco phase in teens/early 20’s, (B) infrequent (as in once), and the dabbling was (C) unpleasant or (D) completely bungled (“didn’t inhale”).

She supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. On this issue, she is in tune with her constituents, as at least 70 percent of Alaskans are in favor of taking the oil from ANWR. Hey, I am, too. Really. I’m fine with the plans to drill in ANWR if, and only if, AND IT’S A MIGHTY BIG IF, the oil companies who get the green light are willing to invest the time, energy, and big money it’s gonna take to extract that crude as CLEANLY and as POLITELY as possible. They say they can now get this oil using much more environmentally friendly methods than those used 30 years ago. Great. I want to believe it. But I sure as hell, if I’m a U.S. Senator with the power to say yea or nay on this incredibly important project, ain’t gonna take their word for it. The oil corporations, if they want all this offshore drilling bad enough, are gonna have to submit to congressional and environmental reviews. Period. If they won’t, too bad. ANWR denied. Go drill on the 60 million federal acres that you currently have access to, but, for whatever reason, are too bored with to play with.

On the topic of climate change, Palin has said, “It would affect Alaska more than any other state. I’m not one, though, who would attribute it to being man-made.” Oh, really? Well, in that case, Susie baby, you might want to have a chat with your running mate. Because he was the author, along with the increasingly icky Joe Lieberman, of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2003. This bill actually gives a little fuel to McCain’s endless self-pounding of the word “maverick”, since it dared to admit that global warming is (A) happening, and (B) us busy little humans just might have something to do with it. (It didn’t become law, going down by a 55-43 vote). So the next time you’re hangin’ on the “Straight Talk” RV, Mrs. Palin, poppin’ a cold one with John and Cindy after a tough day of dodging those pesky reporters from the elite Eastern media with all their fancy questions, you might want to get straight on just exactly where it is you’re supposed to stand on all this global climate change jazz.

Footnote of interest—one of the four co-sponsors of that Climate Stewardship bill was none other than Barack Obama.