McCain Touts Green Policies At Wind Energy Firm - But He Opposed Their Key Legislation

by Sam Stein

Over the past few years, Sen. John McCain has earned maverick stripes by taking a stance on climate change that few of his Republican colleagues share. His bucking of party orthodoxy has had its benefits on the presidential campaign trail. This Monday, for instance, the senator is slated to appear before a wind power plant to tout the merits of such environmentally friendly technologies.

"Wind power is one of many alternative energy sources that are changing our economy for the better," McCain will say, according to prepared remarks. "And one day they will change our economy forever."

But back in 2005, when McCain had the chance to vote for a bill that would have included the largest expansion of financial incentives to produce clean wind energy, he didn't. And the clean energy firm he will address today -- Vestas Wind Technology, a Portland, Oregon business planning to build the world's largest turbine factory -- is part of a trade association that pushed aggressively for the legislation.

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