energy

COLUMBUS – Gov. Ted Strickland is lending his support to the “New Apollo Program,” an advocacy group that aims to invest $500 billion in renewable energy resources, infrastructure and carbon dioxide restrictions.

While the group is officially non-partisan, Strickland was joined by former California treasurer Phil Angelides and U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) to tout the need for a half-trillion investment from the federal government over 10 years to fund investments to conserve energy, retool the auto industry for alternative-fuel vehicles and retrain workers.
The plan would create 400,000 “green-collar jobs” in Ohio, Angelides said.

“These improvements we are making in Ohio to advanced energy have one thing in common: they will produce Ohio jobs and stimulate Ohio’s economy,” Strickland said.

Cindy and John McCain at Capital University: Politicker PhotoCOLUMBUS – John McCain built the election as the choice between voting for the country or voting for Barack Obama today during a campaign rally.

In McCain’s first visit to central Ohio since July, he told supporters at Capital University that voting for him means voting for reforming the economic dangers that threaten the country while voting for Obama would essentially be a vote against the country.

“A vote for Senator Obama will leave this country at risk during one of the most severe challenges to America’s economy since the Great Depression,” McCain said. “That’s how we see this election: the country first or Obama first? And I have a feeling I know which side you’re all on.”

McCain defended his decision to temporarily suspend his campaign last week and address the remedy to the financial crisis working its way through Congress.

While touring Ohio, Joe Biden said he and Barack Obama are opposed to building coal plants or supporting clean-coal technology. Biden's comments and the fact that about 90 percent of Ohio's electricity is generated by coal, created a big target for John McCain's campaign to shoot at today.

"No coal plants here in America," Biden said. "We're not supporting clean coal."

However, Obama's energy plan said it supports investments for "low emissions coal plants" and spearhead development of carbon sequestration technologies.

The McCain campaign held a conference call for Ohio reporters where U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Cleveland) lambasted Biden's comments recorded during a campaign stop in Ohio.

The campaign of U.S. Rep. Zack Space (D-Dover) said opponent Fred Dailey (R-Mt. Vernon) can’t perform the basic function of a representative: understanding legislation.

This was Space’s respond to Dailey’s press release sent Wednesday that accused Space of voting for a “scam” energy bill, which does “nothing to promote the development of advanced clean coal and coal-to-liquid technologies.”

However, the bill does provide $1.6 billion for “advanced coal-based generation” and expands the coal gasification credit. It also includes money for carbon sequestration, which is one part of “clean coal” technology (putting carbon dioxide underground instead of in the air).

The congressional campaign for state Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) is going after Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Columbus) for what they say is refusing to give a clear position on whether she supports more oil drilling.

Stivers campaign laid out a timeline of “vacillating” positions. On June 19, Kilroy said oil companies don’t mean more land to drill on but should drill on federal lands they’re already leasing. Stivers campaign calls this a sham because the leases have no oil on them. Later, Kilroy released her energy plan that doesn’t mention drilling. On Aug. 27, PolitickerOH.com reported that Kilroy’s campaign said Kilroy supports any drilling that is environmentally safe anywhere. At the debate, Kilroy reiterated her statement that she opposes drilling in environmentally-protected areas.

The campaign for 18th Congressional district candidate Fred Dailey (R-Mt. Vernon) fired a double-barreled shot at U.S. Rep. Zack Space (D-Dover)this week: one aimed at knocking Space on voting for a "scam" energy bill and the other for keeping $20,000 in donations from a powerful House Democrat under fire for ethical violations.

Both issues are big in the district because it is home to coal mines and the former district of U.S. Rep. Bob Ney (R) who went to jail for ethics violations -- an issue Space campaigned on to win two years ago.

On Wednesday Congress passed an energy bill that opens some of the ocean to offshore oil drilling. Dailey criticized Space for voting for a billt hat has no incentives for "clean-coal" or coal-to-liquid fuel technology.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Lorain) announced his support for a new economic recovery package in a conference call with Michigan Democrats, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich.).

"One of the first things we should do is extend unemployment benefits," Brown said. "That's money that goes directly into people's pockets. That's money that gets directly spent in communities, generating more economic activity for the whole economy, and that's how we fix this in my state or any other state."

Democrats are advocating the new package to help restore confidence in the economy after the recent turn in the financial markets on Wall Street, when stocks dropped in response to the collapse of financial institutions Lehman Brothers Holdings and Merrill Lynch & Co.

Democrats are touting infrastructure and energy investment that wasn't included in this Spring's stimulus package.

U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Chagrin Falls) made a joke.

LaTourette was explaining to the Twinsburg and Hudson Chambers of Commerce how the construction of a pipeline had not harmed the local Caribou population in Alaska, but instead had grown it five-fold since the 1970s because "the warmth" of the pipeline had been making the caribou "frisky."

In a bit of "convention week fun," the campaign of LaTourette opponent, former state Appellate Judge William O'Neill (D-South Russell), decided to razz the Congressman about his answer regarding Alaska and energy somehow drifting to the mating habits of Caribou.

The issue of energy provided some heat to the race for Ohio's 7th Congressional District seat Thursday.

State Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) is running against attorney Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) to replace retiring U.S. Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield.)

The melee started with Austria's campaign calling on Neuhardt to release her energy plan. In the end, both candidates fell in for their respective party's energy plan, with Austria supporting the Republican-backed American Energy Act, and Neuhardt going for the Democratic Party's "New Energy for America" plan.

The campaigns of Franklin Co. Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Columbus) and state Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) fought over Kilroy's position on oil drilling after her second TV ad today on energy.

In the ad, Kilroy said she supports domestic driling and alternative fuels. Kilroy has stated that her energy plan supports drilling on federal lands currently leased by oil companies.

Stivers campaign manager Mike Hartley said Kilroy's support of drilling on already-leased federal land doesn't constitute increased oil production because the land has little, if any, oil. Hartley points to a Washington Post editorial that lambasted the notion that oil companies are sitting on leased land that has oil.

"Kilroy needs to explain specifically where she plans to increase drilling. Would she vote to lift the moratorium on off-shore drilling? Would she allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? Is she for drilling in the Rocky Mountains, or any other federal lands? Or is Kilroy deceiving voters by suggesting that the “use-it-or-lose-it” concept constitutes increased drilling?" Hartley said.