Barack Obama is apparently not a friend to the coal industry

The Wheeling News-Register offers "Obama's Real Agenda On Coal Now Clear" (link):

Clearly, Obama wants the scale set low on how much greenhouse gas a plant could emit before being forced to buy "credits" allowing it to operate. Here, in his own words, is what Obama told the Chronicle in regard to use of coal: "So, if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It's just that it will bankrupt them, because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted."

That would help explain comments made earlier this fall in Ohio, by Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden. "No coal plants here in America," he emphasized. Obviously, Biden made his comments in the context of Obama's plan to price coal out of the marketplace through use of draconian air pollution rules.

Sen. John McCain has made it clear that he supports clean-coal technology - with no hidden agendas such as those Obama has in mind. As we have stressed repeatedly, McCain's plan should appeal not just to coal-state voters - but to all Americans worried about energy.

And, see "Ohio Coal Association Says Obama Remarks Make It Clear: Obama Ticket Not Supportive of Coal" (link):

Mike Carey, president of the Ohio Coal Association (OCA), today issued the following statement in response to just-released remarks from Senator Barack Obama about the nation's coal industry.

"Regardless of the timing or method of the release of these remarks, the message from the Democratic candidate for President could not be clearer: the Obama-Biden ticket spells disaster for America's coal industry and the tens of thousands of Americans who work in it.

"These undisputed, audio-taped remarks, which include comments from Senator Obama like 'I haven't been some coal booster' and 'if they want to build [coal plants], they can, but it will bankrupt them' are extraordinarily misguided.

"It's evident that this campaign has been pandering in states like Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana and Pennsylvania to attempt to generate votes from coal supporters, while keeping his true agenda hidden from the state's voters...

And, here's a Youtube video with Joe Biden speaking in Ohio and saying "No Coal Plants Here in America", he only wants them to be built in China.

From yesterday, see "Coal official calls Obama comments 'unbelievable'" (link)

And, from earlier this year, Harry Reid said:

"The one thing we fail to talk about is those costs that you don't see on the bottom line. That is coal makes us sick, oil makes us sick; it's global warming. It's ruining our country, it's ruining our world. We've got to stop using fossil fuel."

There's a video from the S.F. Chronicle meeting where Obama said he wasn't a coal booster here.

UPDATE: There's another round-up of reaction here ("Coal, Mining Groups Blast Obama").

Please send this page to everyone you know in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and other coal-producing states.

Politics · Mon, 11/03/2008 - 08:28 · · Importance: 9