Campaign websites

Check out the following website:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy

It has great information on Obama's energy policy. It is a link within his campaign site.

John McCain also has a link in his site at:

http://www.johnmccain.com//Informing/Issues/17671aa4-2fe8-4008-859f-0ef1468e96f4.htm

One immediately apparent difference between the campaign sites is that McCain ties energy independence to security within the first sentence, while a compulsory look at Obama's site gives the impression that his greatest concern is growing green energy for job creation and environmental reasons, and reducing the cost of fuel for consumers.

McCain states in his opening paragraph that he believes our future national security and economic prosperity are dependent upon "producing more power, pushing technology to help free our transportation sector from its use of foreign oil, cleaning up our air and addressing climate change, and ensuring that Americans have dependable energy sources".

Obama's site does not have an opening paragraph - It is in outline form, and I was unable to find anywhere in the outlines that mentions security. However, right near the top, following the first outline, is a link to a narrative statement of the campaign's energy policy, which can be found at the following address:

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/factsheet_energy_speech_080308.pdf

The opening sentence is as follows: "America has always risen to great challenges, and our dependence on oil is one of the greatest we have ever faced. It’s a threat to our national security, our planet and our economy". Clearly, there is a connection made between energy independence and security.

So, both candidates appear to believe that energy dependence is a threat to our security and prosperity, though it's easier to find out that McCain feels that way than Obama.

It will be interesting over the next four weeks, as our Obama and McCain reporters sift through the articles and campaign sites, etc., and pin down specific policy ideas each candidate has, to see the similarities and differences that emerge.

Heather Wegan