Politics | John McCain McCain's Energy Record Reveals Muddled Mess Some see pragmatism, others inconsistency in GOP candidate's votes By Jonas Oransky Posted Jul 1, 2008 4:38 PM CDT Copied Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., turns and waves from the doorway of his campaign jet before departing Philadelphia, Tuesday, July 1, 2008. (AP Photo/LM Otero) John McCain can’t seem to settle on a comprehensible energy policy, Noam Levey writes in the Los Angeles Times, noting that the Republican has been on both sides of issues from oil drilling to ethanol. He favors fuel-efficiency standards while rejecting renewable-sources guidelines and rejects tax breaks on renewables while supporting nuclear subsidies. “There is a very sporadic pattern here,” said one environmentalist. The Arizona senator has “swerved from one position to another over the years, taking often contradictory stances on the government's role in energy policy,” Levey concludes. His record “shows little of the clear direction he says would come from a McCain White House.” Read These Next She was born at a McDonald's, so obviously this is her nickname. Two Powerball players have a lot of financial planning to do. A photo could link a body to a Lebanese cleric missing for decades. Repeated concussions left Welsh legend Alix Popham with CTE. Report an error