Jack & Jill Politics

cross-posted to goodCRIMETHINK

A twitter friend recently asked me about Obama’s energy stance. I wrote about it briefly in my endorsement letter.

While energy/climate/food issues are at the top of my “issues” list I don’t have time right now to do an in depth post, but I wanted to give more than a 140 character response. Yes, this blog post is in response to twitter. Wow.

What I will do is link to reputable sources

• Obama’s plan and Clinton’s plan. (note he calls for $150B energy fund investment vs her $50B. He generally offers much more detail also)
• Gristmill assesses the strong similarities of both and comes out in favor of Obama (Feb 4. 2008)
• League of Conservation Voters gives Obama a 96% lifetime rating vs Clinton at 90%

As is often pointed out in attempts to compare the two, they offer similar proposals. Gristmill’s assessment is similar to my own quick one. It comes down to who do you think will actually get their plan done and who can bring the largest number of Democratic votes into Congress to pass legislation.

That would be Obama in my book. In addition to his proven ability to work with a range of interests (see him on the Illinois death penalty), he brings a transformational plan (more here) for government transparency and civic engagement which should ensure that the voice of the people is heard in crafting our new energy policy.