McCain and the Environment

It has been difficult to see in the past few years, but Sen. John McCain used to have a reputation for center- and left-leaning views on many social issues. But with the defeats he suffered in previous Republican nominations for president, he has molded himself into someone any red blooded, family values, Christian, anti-abortion, anti-gay, pro-gun, military loving Republican would be proud to call his or her President.

It might just be my liberal bias, actually, no. It is my liberal bias that tells me that Republicans have made it a policy to ignore tree-hugging liberal environmentalists, and Doom's Day predictions on global climate change, regardless of the overwhelming and conclusive proof from the scientific community.

Yet John McCain, one of the only prominent lawmakers in Washington that still supports the President's plans, or lack-there-of, for involvement in Iraq, the man who reversed his opinion on abortion (can you say flip-flopper?) Nevertheless, Senator McCain has decided to champion global warming in his run-up to announcing his Presidential campaign.
According to Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post, McCain framed his concern for climate change in a very Republican way - calling it a matter on national security. McCain said during a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies that America's dependence on foreign oil is a concern to the safety of the nation. "The problem isn't a Hollywood invention, nor is doing something about it a vanity of Cassandra-like hysterics," said the Arizona Republican.

McCain did offer speeches in the past two days about Iraq and the economy of course, but his intentions to put climate change towards the top of his priorities during his presidential campaign is commendable.
Now if only more politicians would look at the greatest threat facing the world with as much attention, we might actually get serious about saving the world.