by Shushannah Walshe
Published: 11-03-08
MARIETTA OH –-Sarah Palin unleashed a new attack today after an audio file of an interview Barack Obama did in January 2008 was reported on conservative blogs and linked on the Drudge Report. Palin accused the Democratic nominee of wanting to bankrupt the coal industry.
“Barack Obama explained his plan to the San Francisco Chronicle this year early this year. And he said that sure if the industry wants to build coal fired power plants then they can go ahead and try he says but they can do it only in a way that will bankrupt the coal industry and he’s comfortable letting that happen. And you gotta listen to the tape.
The audio file has been on the San Francisco Chronicle’s website since the January interview with its editorial board but Palin accused the newspaper of withholding the information until right before the election.
“Now a couple points on this: One is that here again why is the audio tape just now surfacing? This interview was given to San Francisco folks many many months ago. You should have known about this so that you would have better decision-making information as you go into the voting booth” Palin said as shouts of “liberal media!” could be heard from the crowd.
In the interview Obama spoke about his energy plan which includes an “aggressive” cap and trade policy which will charge polluters in an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions. John McCain is also a supporter of cap and trade.
“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.” Obama said “That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in wind solar biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.
The only thing that I have said with respect to coal I haven’t been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way we should pursue it.”
Palin promised the crowd at Marietta College that her ticket will “not let that happen to the coal industry.”
“Instead we’ll make clean coal a reality and to help power the American economy with clean coal technology we’re going to be looking to the hard-working people of Ohio and West Virginia and Pennsylvania.”
The Obama points out that later in the interview the Illinois senator says that eliminating coal is “ an illusion.” Ohio Governor Ted Strickland responded to Palin’s comments.
“After John McCain said he’d like to ‘transition away from coal entirely’ his campaign is hardly in a position to criticize a coal state Senator like Barack Obama who has outlined a $150 billion investment in clean coal and other technologies to create jobs and build a new energy economy.
The truth is John McCain and Sarah Palin can’t name a single thing they’d do differently on the economy than George Bush so all they have to offer is last minute desperate distortions. Hardworking families don’t need more Washington-style political attacks they need a President who will create jobs and stand up for the middle class – and that’s Barack Obama.”
