presidential election

Barack Obama made statements this week that seemed to reverse his stance on offshore drilling. Did Obama "sell-out" for votes? It's not so clear if you look at what he actually said.

Earlier this month, Florida Governor Charlie Crist won a lot of friends in the oil industry by suggesting that he could live with oil-wells off the coast of Florida. In the same week he also gained support from environmentalists for brokering an agreement that will reclaim 300 square miles of the Everglades from sugar farming.

So why should we care? Well it just so happens that Crist is the Governor of a crucial swing-state in the upcoming presidential election, as well as being a contender for the Republican Vice-Presidential slot.

Clinton accuses Obama of being all talk and no walk, by suggesting that he voted for the 2005 Cheney-crafted Energy Policy Act. A bill that Clinton claims is lining the pockets of big oil as the cost of gas nears $4 per gallon.

Profiles for 2008 presidential candidates. See where their money came from.

Is this surprising to anyone else but me? Have “energy,” “conservation,” and “environment” ceased to be buzzwords in this election season? Were they ever?