McCain open to all energy options

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But in a one-on-one interview with the News-Leader after his townhall meeting at Missouri State University, the presumptiveRepublican presidential nominee acknowledged its very doubtfulhis campaign promise will ever be fulfilled  much less debated inCongress.
It would be hard to do, obviously, McCain said. But that doesntmean that I wouldnt advocate for it.
McCain has been pushing the plan for the better part of two months.He and former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton called for asuspension of the gas tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
It was met with stiff resistance from economists who said it had noguarantee of actually lowering the cost of gas and presumptiveDemocratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who has called ita gimmick to win votes.

Im somewhat disappointed that people who are rather wealthy dontunderstand that Americans on fixed incomes, like people I met theother day who own a couple of (tractor-trailer) trucks, are reallyhurting, McCain said.

Without directly saying it, the senator acknowledged there are noshort-term solutions for the countrys energy crisis.

Can I get it through the Congress? Um, I think its very doubtfulbecause theres so many frankly out of touch members of Congress,McCain said. McCain didnt express much optimism that Congresswould act on the crisis this year.

But weve got to give people trust, hope and confidence that weregoing to address this issue and were going to address itseriously, McCain said.

For long-term energy needs, McCain said all options are on thetable, including exploring oil shale deposits in the western statesof Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

It becomes more and more affordable as the price of gasoline goesup and a barrel of oil goes up, McCain said of the expensive oilshale extraction process.

On Tuesday evening, the News-Leader posted a message on its Website, www.news-leader.com , seeking reader-generated questions for the interview with McCain.

Twenty-two readers responded  some with a single question, otherswith a list.

Paul Pritchett, a retired Army sergeant major, wanted to know howMcCain would ensure soldiers returning home from Iraq andAfghanistan would get top-flight medical care.

McCain, a Vietnam veteran and son of a Navy admiral, said thecountry doesnt need more Veterans hospitals. But he does want toexpand the systems ability to treat soldiers returning home withcombat wounds and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

For average veterans health care, I think we ought to look at aprogram where you give a veteran a plastic card who has a routinehealth care need and just go to the health care provider orpractitioner of their choice, McCain said.

On the issue of faltering transportation infrastructure, agingbridges and strained levees along the Missouri and Mississippirivers, McCain said the country needs a New Deal-like plan totackle the problems. But he said Congress and the next presidentneed to lay out a plan that doesnt include $200 million bridgesto nowhere  referencing the infamous earmark for a proposedbridge project to a tiny Alaskan fishing town.

Before we ever ask the American people for an additional dime oftheir tax dollars, lets clean up our act, McCain said.
A couple of readers asked whether McCain thinks the country needsto re-institute the military draft to fill the militarys depletedranks. McCain got the same question during the town hall meeting.

I dont believe in the draft, McCain said. Plus, I think we havethe best military in the world today and the most efficient andmost professional and most skilled.

McCain said his experience from the war in Vietnam was that thepoorest Americans got drafted and the wealthiest Americans wereable to find a doctor to say that they didnt have to serve.

I thought it was very unfair, he said. Overall I think theall-volunteer force is doing great. Its just not big enough,theres not enough of them.