"Yikes! I Might Be...Militia!"
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
Yesterday, Barack Obama’s plan to bankrupt the coal industry appeared as one of the Ten Reasons NOT to Elect Barack Obama in 2008. A day later, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) appeared on Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends morning program to run interference for the Democratic Party presidential nominee.
What Senator McCaskill didn’t mention — and, perhaps, she doesn’t realize — is that St. Louis-based Peabody Energy, a 125-year-old company, is the world’s largest private-sector coal company. With 2007 sales of 238 million tons and $4.6 billion in revenues, Peabody’s coal products fuel approximately 10 percent of all U.S. electricity generation and 2 percent of worldwide electricity.
By backing Obama’s plan, the first-term senator from the Show-Me State is basically throwing the coal industry “under the bus.” Among those who would pay the price if Obama and McCaskill gets their way: More than 7,000 employees worldwide — including 400 in Missouri — and most of the rest in the United States.
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See also: ‘Electricity Costs Would Skyrocket’ Under Obama, a post in which I quote Vic Svec, senior vice president of investor relations and corporate communications at St. Louis-based Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) on the subject of whether Peabody, the world’s largest private-sector coal company, had any reaction to Obama’s plan to bankrupt the coal industry.
14 responses so far ↓
1 Ron // Nov 3, 2008 at 8:30 am
How in the world can my friends and relative vote for McCaskill let alone Obama! Seriously doesn’t anyone actually listen to these people?
McCaskill is not even respected by the Democrats look at her placement in the committees. And Missouri is set to get a very large energy tax increase given the Dem’s plan, if you doubt it look at the last energy tax plan that was barely defeated this year!
2 hotoffthepress2 // Nov 3, 2008 at 8:34 am
It’s a strange world we live in, Ron. Explaining it is nigh on impossible. Thanks!
3 DeeDee // Nov 3, 2008 at 9:13 am
I did have a comment…but…why? is a good question. Why would they vote? because he’s black? i wouldn’t mind a black president myself, but Obama has so many things going in too many different directions that i don’t think he has his priorities straight.
4 FBW // Nov 3, 2008 at 10:10 am
I seriously doubt Obama wants to put the coal industry out of business. C’mon. He wants the US to be energy independent in 10 years and he knows coal is a big part of that
What he was saying is that unless they convert to cleaner plants (Using scrubbers that can be retrofitted to existing plants) the penalties for emissions would bankrupt the coal companies, as well they should. You and I pay for smog control devices on our cars so we do not pollute more than we need to, and that costs us money up front and with every mile we drive. Why should the coal industry (Really the power companies that burn the coal, not Joe the coal miner) be allowed to pollute more than they need to. Remember Acid Rain? That problem was taken care of at expense to the power industries in the 60’s but it did not go far enough because the technology available now (AGAIN, SCRUBBERS) was not available then. I helped design a coal power plant for a very responsible power company (UP&L) and they were extreme in their demand that we include the best scrubber technology available. Yeah, it cost them more, but bless them, they were good citizens. And no, they are not bankrupt.
You right wingnuts seize on any out of context soundbite like it is the communist manifesto. I read your blogs because you humor me with your narrow perspective and limited idea of truth.
5 hotoffthepress2 // Nov 3, 2008 at 10:41 am
FBW — Wait until you read my next post on this subject. There’s no denying Obama is out to cripple, if not kill, the coal industry.
6 Greg // Nov 3, 2008 at 3:09 pm
The “bankrupt” quote was taken out of context.
Read the entire quote in context and then form a reasonable and educated opinion, instead of falling into the trap of fear-mongering.
This is just another desperate 11th hour tactic coming from a candidate who is behind in the polls.
7 hotoffthepress2 // Nov 3, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Greg — Democratic/Socialist politicians and bankruptcy go hand in hand. Blow your coal-free smoke elsewhere buddy.
8 Greg // Nov 3, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Nice try. The old “socialist” fear mongering trick from a “spread the wealth” around comment (that was ALSO taken out of context didn’t) work well with the undecided voters either. Want to try any other smoke screes from the RNC handbook? :)
9 hotoffthepress2 // Nov 3, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Greg,
The truth is always nice. By the way, what’s a “smoke screes” anyway?
10 rumblepup // Nov 4, 2008 at 12:10 am
Wow, you didn’t even check McCain’s Plan, which is almost exactly like Obama’s.
http://www.johnmccain.com/ClimateChange/
Oh, and just so you know, the coal miner’s have a thing to say about it as well.
http://www.umwa.org/index.php?q=news/mccain-campaign%E2%80%99s-last-minute-distortion-obama%E2%80%99s-coal-record-act-desperation
11 rumblepup // Nov 4, 2008 at 12:42 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP6iqcrHvsE&eurl=http://www.jedreport.com/2008/11/ohios-gop-senator-mccain-will.html
12 Skunkfeathers // Nov 4, 2008 at 5:32 am
Greg & friends can carry their delusions as far as they wish. When energy costs skyrocket, coal, domestic oil is put off limits, and food prices go up with the effort to develop more inefficient biofuels, Greg & friends will be howling like stuck pigs. But not at the cause…they’ll be howling like the trained monkeys they are, force-fed the talking points the DNC and the dumbed-down progressive education system feed them.
The light of day will find them, sooner or later.
13 hotoffthepress2 // Nov 4, 2008 at 7:36 am
Hey, dog — McCain has changed his mind since then. He learned he was wrong.
14 Economy « Colbert U R Dead 2 Me // Nov 4, 2008 at 2:57 pm
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