On Litmus Tests, McCain Won't Always Turn Green

John McCain might trumpet his climate-change bona fides—and voters might be giving him credit—but the Republican candidate's true green colors are far more mixed, the Washington Post finds in a look at how he treats environmental issues. McCain wants a federal limit on greenhouse-gas emissions, but voted against higher fuel-efficiency standards and requiring public utilities to boost output from renewable sources.

He has stood for protecting public lands, but dismissed the Endangered Species Act when it interfered with development. A top adviser says his man is a true environmentalist, but can’t please “groups who are single-issue, litmus test” types. But a top eco-advocate typifies the ambivalence watchers feel toward him: Of the helpful Republicans, McCain “is perhaps the most unpredictable, erratic.” (More John McCain stories.)