McCain Now Opposes Key Policy Against Global Warming

Larry Kudlow loves John McCain's stunning flip-flop on cap-and-trade, a key policy for reducing carbon emissions:

Mac’s Off Cap-and-Trade   [Larry Kudlow]

After writing favorably about Sen. McCain’s recent economics speeches, where he clearly shifted toward the supply-side both on tax cuts and producing more energy, I went back last evening and carefully read his 15-page policy pamphlet called “Jobs for America.” Here’s what I found: There is no mention of cap-and-trade. None. Nada. There is a section about “Cheap, Clean, Secure Energy for America: The Lexington Project.” But that talks about expanded domestic production of oil and gas, as well as the need for more nuclear power and coal along with alternative sources. Then it has the $300 million battery and flex-fuel cars. But nope, no cap-and-trade.

So I picked up the phone and dialed a senior McCain official to make sure these old eyes hadn’t missed it. Sure enough, on deep background, this senior McCain advisor told me I was correct: no cap-and-trade.

As recently as last month, McCain said he favored a cap-and-trade system, though he wasn't clear about the specifics. But now he has abandoned it altogether.

The strange thing is that this was perhaps the only major area where there was any daylight whatsoever between McCain and Bush. Now even that is gone. Just when you'd think McCain would be moving away from Bush...he's moving closer.

Update: Is the McCain campaign paying this guy overtime? Ambinder says that Camp McCain is not flip-flopping after all. Okay. Perhaps that might be true. But I don't understand why he feels the need to go the extra mile and say that what Kudlow was told and the McCain camp is now saying are reconciliable. There not. Someone isn't tellign the truth, most likely whoever is talking to Kudlow. Now that kind of double-talk coming out of Camp McCain is an interesting story...not something to be rationalized away.