McCain: U.S. must wean off foreign oil

Sen. John McCain said the nation must become independent from foreign oil and offered offshore drilling, an expansion of nuclear power and development of clean-coal technology as methods he favors to achieve that goal.

"We have to be on the path to independence from foreign oil," McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, told Trib editors Tuesday.

"The fundamental issue is that there are growing economies" such as India and China that are demanding a greater share of a finite resource and driving prices higher, he said.

Demand pushed world oil prices past $145 a barrel in a string of record-setting sessions before the Fourth of July. Oil futures fell yesterday $5.33 to $136.04 a barrel.

The energy issue is creating a "historic transfer of wealth" from the nation to foreign suppliers, some of whom finance terrorism directed at the United States, McCain said. It is affecting the way Americans live, from dumping gas-guzzling SUVs to avoiding vacations at resorts such as Las Vegas and Disney World.

The solution is reliance on technology and innovation that McCain said "has to be a national mission." The Arizona lawmaker compared it to John F. Kennedy's pledge to put a man on the moon in the 1960s.

"There's a mindset in Washington that we can't do these things. We can do these things," McCain said. "We have to call Americans to the mission. ... I'm confident Americans are ready."

McCain expanded on energy issues he outlined Monday in a speech on economic matters, including a call to build at least 45 nuclear power plants that would create more than 700,000 jobs to build and operate them; a plan to expand oil drilling off the coasts with the consent of the states involved; and to deploy clean-coal technology to take advantage of U.S. reserves.

"There is no doubt that coal is a large emitter that we don't like," McCain said. But technology is being developed to reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants and will become more affordable. "As energy becomes more expensive that gap narrows."

McCain previously called for a gas tax holiday to temporarily suspend the federal tax on motor fuels. McCain said some economists call it a gimmick, but the American people and small-business owners like it.

He said he came up with the idea after talking to the owner of two trucks who said high fuel prices would put him out of business.

"I wanted to give him a little break," McCain said.

John D. Oravecz can be reached at joravecz@tribweb.com or 412-320-7882.

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