Not Easy Being Green

You can't have a debate about energy policy w/out having one about its impact on the enviro. How are Obama and McCain balancing the two?

-- McCain's proposal to lift the ban on offshore drilling (a reversal from his '00 position) puts his moderate image to the test, esp. among eco-sensitive coastal voters. It also places VP hopeful Crist, a drilling foe, in an awkward position. Still, it's no coincidence that the same day McCain talks drilling in Pres. Bush's back yard, his camp rolls out a new ad that notes how he "stood up to the President and sounded the alarm on global warming." Can he have it both ways?

-- Meanwhile, Obama finally got his photo-op w/the Gore-acle (almost 2 full weeks after he won HRC's blessing). But GOPers hope that featuring the auto-industry critic in Detroit will hurt Obama among rank-and-file MI autoworkers.

-- The WaPo/ABC poll shows Obama w/a double-digit lead over McCain on gas prices and energy. But as voters' anxiety over that issue climbs, can Obama afford to simply attack McCain's plans on drilling and a gas-tax holiday as short-term gimmickry? For voters feeling the pinch, and worried about higher heating costs this winter, waiting for the long-term solution doesn't look like an affordable alternative.