I Hate What You Just Said

The Sierra Club succinctly explains John McCain’s flip-flop on offshore drilling.

1989-2006: McCain raises a total of $305,277 from the oil industry, despite a presidential bid and stint as chairman of the high-profile Senate Commerce Committee.

March 2008: McCain raises $116,000 from Big Oil

April 2008: McCain raises $283,000 from Big Oil

May 2008: McCain raises $208,000 from Big Oil

June 15, 2008: McCain says he supports allowing Big Oil to begin the “exploitation” of our coasts

June 16, 2008: McCain formally announces his support for offshore drilling in a speech to energy executives in Houston and then launches a fundraising tour of the state

June 2008: McCain raises $1.1 million from Big Oil — the vast majority of which came in after his flip-flop on offshore drilling

July 6, 2008: Republican National Committee spends $3.4 million on false and misleading ads in Midwestern battleground states attacking Obama on energy policy. The San Francisco Chronicle said the ad “had enough whoppers to make the Midwesterners cough up their Fourth of July potato salad.”

July 21, 2008: McCain unveils an ad blaming Obama for high gas prices. The New York Times calls its “misleading on nearly every substantive point.”

You know what would be nice? If someone asked McCain about this. Specifically. Citing the actual numbers. During a debate, perhaps.

Think someone will? Nah. Me neither.

So just in case Oily McWar is reading IHWYJS, I’ll ask him myself:

“Senator McCain, on behalf of the readers and authors of ihatewhatyoujustsaid.com, I would like to ask you to explain why and how you raised 1.1 million dollars from the oil industry during the single month of June, 2008.

I would also like you to explain why you changed your policy regarding offshore drilling during that same month.

And finally, please explain why you raised more than three times more oil money during that one month than you did over a seventeen-year period from 1989 to 2006.

OK - thanks, dude! See you on the Iraq/Pakistan border!”