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President Barack Obama is promoting his
administration's investments in clean energy technologies like wind
and solar, arguing they produce jobs and are essential for the
country's environment and economic security.

      In his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, a month out
from crucial midterm elections, the president also accused
Republicans of wanting to scrap incentives for such projects.


      "That's what's at stake in this debate," the president said.
"We can go back to the failed energy policies that profited the
oil companies but weakened our country. We can go back to the days
when promising industries got set up overseas. Or we can go after
new jobs in growing industries. And we can spur innovation and help
make our economy more competitive."


      Part of the House GOP's recently released "Pledge to America"
calls for freezing spending from last year's stimulus bill. The
stimulus included $90 billion for clean energy projects ranging
from electric vehicles to solar loan guarantees, although a big
chunk of the money has already been obligated or spent.

      Obama cited a solar power plant breaking ground in the Mojave
Desert this month thanks to government incentives.

      "With projects like this one and others across this country, we
are staking our claim to continued leadership in the new global
economy," Obama said. "And we're putting Americans to work
producing clean, homegrown American energy that will help lower our
reliance on foreign oil and protect our planet for future
generations."

      Republicans disputed Obama's criticism, saying they support
investments in renewable energy technologies.


      Separately, Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell took aim in
the GOP radio response at government spending, accusing majority
Democrats of "maxing out the national credit card on a failed
stimulus bill and a government-run health care bill."

      The Kentucky Republican also criticized Democrats for recessing
Congress until after the elections without acting to extend the
Bush-era tax cuts, which expire in January. Obama and Democratic
leaders want to extend the tax cuts only for individuals making
less than $200,000 and married couples making less than $250,000,
while Republicans and some rank-and-file Democrats want to extend
tax cuts for the wealthy as well, a costlier proposition.


      "Whenever they were asked about this looming tax hike, they
just blamed the Republicans," McConnell said. "They said that
Republicans will be to blame for some people getting a tax hike
because we didn't think anyone should get a tax hike. ... The fact
is, the best way to help individuals and small businesses and the
economy is to give them all the certainty that their taxes won't be
going up at the end of the year."


      ---
      Online:
      Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov
      GOP address: http://www.youtube.com/gopweeklyaddress
      
      (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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Environmental News

In his weekly radio and Internet address today, a month out
from crucial midterm elections, the president also accused
Republicans of wanting to scrap incentives for clean energy projects.

Obama promotes green energy technology; GOP calls for tax cuts

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