BLOG

Iowa Democratic Debate Recap

-- Mike -- 08/20/2007

While the media questioners at yesterday's Democratic debate in Iowa did not ask any of the candidates about global warming or energy, several of the candidates brought up the issue on their own, including Senator Clinton and Governor Richardson. Senator Obama discussed the issue at greater length in response to a question about telling the "whole truth" about a "major" issue.

OBAMA: I think there are a number of issues where there are going to be some choices we've got to make and some sacrifices involved. I'll give you one specific example, and that's on energy. All of us on this stage have talked about global warming and how it is a moral imperative for us to do something about this, to ensure that we're passing on a livable planet to our children and our grandchildren. There will be some costs involved. It's not -- we can't do it on the cheap. There are some things that we can do to conserve energy, but all of those steps are going to require a little bit of hardship and a little bit of pinching, and that's something that we don't have enough of a discussion about. I've tried to. I went to Detroit, and in front of a bunch of auto makers, I said we've got to raise fuel efficiency standards on cars. And the silence was deafening in the room. But those are the kinds of choices, I think, that the next president is going to have to advance and have an honest conversation with the American people about.

Click here to watch video of this response.

Additionally, least you think the lack of a substantive discussion during the debate on energy went unnoticed by the candidates, Governor Richardson pointed it out during a post-debate interview with the local NBC affiliate.

RICHARDSON: I was hoping to talk about energy, you know I'm a former secretary of energy, and in my judgment we need to become energy independent, and renewable fuels and ethanol, and renewable technology's the key. I wish I'd even been asked a question on energy. Interestingly, there are no questions on energy...