Hidden Audio: Obama Tells SF Chronicle He Will Bankrupt Coal Industry

[Desertdog]

The audio portion is on the web site, and it is CHILLING.  Much more chilling than reading about.  Sorry, I don't know how to copy it to here.  Be sure to read the last paragraph.  Sorry, I forgot the URL.

Hidden Audio: Obama Tells SF Chronicle He Will Bankrupt Coal Industry
By P.J. Gladnick (Bio | Archive)
November 2, 2008 - 07:26 ET 

http://media.newsbusters.org/stories/hidden-audio-obama-tells-sf-chronicle-he-will-bankrupt-coal-industry.html?q=blogs/p-j-gladnick/2008/11/02/hidden-audio-obama-tells-sf-chronicle-he-will-bankrupt-coal-industry


(Please read update about the San Francisco Chronicle neglecting to mention Obama's willingness to bankrupt the coal industry at bottom of this blog.)
Imagine if John McCain had whispered somewhere that he was willing to bankrupt a major industry? Would this declaration not immediately be front page news? Well, Barack Obama actually flat out told the San Francisco Chronicle (SF Gate) that he was willing to see the coal industry go bankrupt in a January 17, 2008 interview. The result? Nothing. This audio interview has been hidden from the public...until now. Here is the transcript of Obama's statement about bankrupting the coal industry (emphasis mine):

 Let me sort of describe my overall policy.

What I've said is that we would put a cap and trade system in place that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else's out there.

I was the first to call for a 100% auction on the cap and trade system, which means that every unit of carbon or greenhouse gases emitted would be charged to the polluter. That will create a market in which whatever technologies are out there that are being presented, whatever power plants that are being built, that they would have to meet the rigors of that market and the ratcheted down caps that are being placed, imposed every year.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.

Story Continues Below Ad ↓

That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.

The only thing I've said with respect to coal, I haven't been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a (sic) ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.

It's just that it will bankrupt them.
 Amazing that this statement by Obama about bankrupting the coal industry has been kept under wraps until this time. 

UPDATE: NewsBusters' Tom Blumer has found out that the San Francisco Chronicle story published on January 18 based upon this January 17 interview did not include any mention of Obama's willingness to bankrupt the coal industry which you can hear on the audio. You can read the story here when you scroll down to the "In His Own Words" section. Way to cover up for The One, SF Chronicle!

—P.J. Gladnick is a freelance writer and creator of the DUmmie FUnnies blog.

[Manedwolf]

Is the MSM going to make sure voters in Pennsylvania and Virgina know this? Of course not.

I just had to turn off CNN I had on in passing. Wolf Blitzer was gushing about Obama's inevitability with the shining eyes of a religious devotee.

[Sindawe]

Links would be nice....

Quoted article: http://media.newsbusters.org/stories/hidden-audio-obama-tells-sf-chronicle-he-will-bankrupt-coal-industry.html?q=blogs/p-j-gladnick/2008/11/02/hidden-audio-obama-tells-sf-chronicle-he-will-bankrupt-coal-industry

Referenced audio interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdi4onAQBWQ

No suprise to me.  Mr. Obama is all about control.  It is for our own good of course since we are too stupid and selfish to know better, but control none the less.

[Desertdog]

Links would be nice....

Sorry I forgot the link.  It has been corrected.

[longeyes]

Let all of Obama's evil impulses out.  Everything needs to emerge, so we can see it, understand it, resist it, and overcome it.  The American people clearly need some shocks to wake them from their sleep of death.  Maybe living without affordable electricity will be one of them...

[Manedwolf]

How many people have already voted, though?

[Bogie]

So, if you know someone in coal country, mail them the link...

[French G.]

Sadly coal miners are in the bag thanks to the union. I hear West Virginia radio news every day since I'm about 2 counties eas of coal country. It is sad.

[Waitone]

Just breath taking; perfectly consistent but just breath taking.  And once again we have an appendage of Big Media totally in O'Bama's tank suppressing what would be front page, top of fold, right column news had McCain said it.

[Sergeant Bob]

Just breath taking; perfectly consistent but just breath taking.  And once again we have an appendage of Big Media totally in O'Bama's tank suppressing what would be front page, top of fold, right column news had McCain said it.

He who controls the media, controls the country.

[Desertdog]

Go Palin.

Palin Unleashes New Attack Against Obama On Coal
Posted by Scott Conroy| 28

(CBS)From CBS News' Scott Conroy:

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/11/02/politics/fromtheroad/entry4564043.shtml

(MARIETTA, OHIO) - Seizing on a newly released audio tape picked up by the Drudge Report, Sarah Palin took the opportunity here in coal country to accuse Barack Obama of “talking about bankrupting the coal industry.”

“He said that, sure, if the industry wants to build coal-fired power plants, then they can go ahead and try, he says, but they can do it only in a way that will bankrupt the coal industry, and he's comfortable letting that happen,” Palin said. “And you got to listen to the tape.”

The audiotape Palin was referring to was recorded by the San Francisco Chronicle in a Jan. 17 interview.

“Why is the audiotape just now surfacing?” Palin asked, leading someone in the crowd to shout, “Liberal media!”

“This interview was given to San Francisco folks many, many months ago,” Palin said. “You should have known about this, so that you would have better decision-making information as you go into the voting booth.”

In the audiotape, Obama reiterated his call for a cap and trade system on carbon and greenhouse gases.

“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can,” Obama said. “It's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.”

An Obama spokesperson said that Obama’s remarks were taken out of context and pointed out that in another part of the interview, Obama said that the idea of eliminating coal plants was “an illusion.”

“The point Obama is making is that we need to transition from coal burning power plants built with old technology to plants built with advanced technologies--and that is exactly the action that will be incentivized under a cap and trade program,” the spokesperson said. “We know that additional work is necessary to develop and deploy these technologies. That is why Obama has argued for a robust funding program for carbon capture and sequestration. It’s strikingly similar to what McCain has said (in fact McCain goes a step further saying he wants to transition completely away from coal).”

[buzz_knox]

He seems absolutely committed to burning bridges he hasn't crossed yet.

I was fully expecting him to easily win a 2nd term, no matter what happens, due to his history making precedent and the groups that are in the bag for him.  Now, I'm not so sure.

[Manedwolf]

He seems absolutely committed to burning bridges he hasn't crossed yet.

I was fully expecting him to easily win a 2nd term, no matter what happens, due to his history making precedent and the groups that are in the bag for him.  Now, I'm not so sure.

Do you know what a wreck this country will be in four years if he wins?

Why do people simply miss the fact that a good portion of Chicago is HELL, that he couldn't even fix what was wrong with his own city?

[MicroBalrog]

It’s strikingly similar to what McCain has said (in fact McCain goes a step further saying he wants to transition completely away from coal).”

Now THIS is the chilling part.

[agricola]

Now THIS is the chilling part.

Moving from coal to nuclear is a smart move, wheras coal to renewables is either less smart (yet) or stupid (in the case of biofuels).  Saying on tape that you would bankrupt industries that dont agree with you is just stupid, though.

It also makes you wonder what on earth is on that LAT tape that is so damaging that they wont release it.

[K Frame]

And I have no doubt that despite his saying this, most coal miners in Pennsylvania and West Virginia will vote for him.

[Desertdog]

I am afraid that Obama is going to give us back the Carter years times 2 or 3.

If you think the country is in a sorry mess now it will get a lot worse if Obama gets in.

[buzz_knox]

Do you know what a wreck this country will be in four years if he wins?

Why do people simply miss the fact that a good portion of Chicago is HELL, that he couldn't even fix what was wrong with his own city?

I know full well what is likely to happen.  That's why I've started referring to him as the American Chavez.  The parallels are absolutely frightening.

[Sergeant Bob]

Now THIS is the chilling part.

There is a big difference between wanting to transition naturally away from coal by offering a better alternative (nuclear) and planning to drive entire industries out of business with oppressive government regulation.

[longeyes]

Obamanomics is not about economic efficiency or common sense, it's about morality and religion.  Coal is not just polluting, it's EVIL and WICKED, can't you see that?  Why, look at the stuff, any fool can see its vileness just by looking at it.  Nuclear is evil and wicked too, just sneaky and invisibly corrupt.  Yeah, evil is sneaky, you have to be on guard.  If solar is good enough for sub-Saharan Africa it should be good enough for Americans.

[MicroBalrog]

There is a big difference between wanting to transition naturally away from coal by offering a better alternative (nuclear)

And this'll be done... how? Oh, wait, massive government subsidies or access to public land to build on. (A different subsidy).

[ronnyreagan]

we need to transition from coal burning power plants built with old technology to plants built with advanced technologies

That sounds fine to me.
A cap & trade system probably isn't the best way to do it, but McCain seems to be offering the same thing or worse. How is this a winning issue for the McCain campaign?

[Manedwolf]

President of the Ohio Coal association has released a statement.

COLUMBUS, November 3, 2008:  Mike Carey, president of the Ohio Coal Association (OCA) today issued the following statement in response to just-released remarks from Senator Barack Obama about the nation’s coal industry.

“Regardless of the timing or method of the release of these remarks, the message from the Democratic candidate for President could not be clearer:  the Obama-Biden ticket spells disaster for America’s coal industry and the tens of thousands of Americans who work in it.

“These undisputed, audio-taped remarks, which include comments from Senator Obama like ‘I haven’t been some coal booster’ and ‘if they want to build [coal plants], they can, but it will bankrupt them’ are extraordinarily misguided.

“It’s evident that this campaign has been pandering in states like Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana and Pennsylvania to attempt to generate votes from coal supporters, while keeping his true agenda hidden from the state’s voters.

“Senator Obama has revealed himself to be nothing more than a short-sighted, inexperienced politician willing to say anything to get a vote.  But today, the nation’s coal industry and those who support it have a better understanding of his true mission, to ‘bankrupt’ our industry, put tens of thousands out of work and cause unprecedented increases in electricity prices.

“In addition to providing an affordable, reliable source of low-cost electricity, domestic coal holds the key to our nation’s long-term energy security – a goal that cannot be overlooked during this time of international instability and economic uncertainty.

“Few policy areas are more important to our economic future than energy issues.  As voters head to the polls tomorrow, it is essential they remember that access to reliable, affordable, domestic energy supplies is essential to economic growth and stability.”

http://www.ohiocoal.com/

[Ben]

And I have no doubt that despite his saying this, most coal miners in Pennsylvania and West Virginia will vote for him.

In fact didn't we have a thread a few months back about how all the coal miners (especially the unions) loved the guy? Now we see Mandedwolf's link above, but I'm guessing it's too little too late to change minds. I bet a lot of coal miners won't even hear about this until weeks after the election, if ever.

[Regolith]

I bet a lot of coal miners won't even hear about this until weeks after the election, if ever.

Oh, they'll hear about it.  Right about the same time they're being handed a pink slip.