McCain, Clinton Win Florida Primary

Sen. John McCain
The Plan: Like most of his fellow Republican candidates, McCain has not outlined a detailed energy plan. But he has discussed the issue in greater detail, and pledged to promote a detailed plan if elected.
What He Supports: Cutting carbon dioxide emissions to combat global warming through support of nuclear power, clean coal and some new fossil fuel exploration in the United States.
What Sets Him Apart: In 2003, he sponsored the first Senate bill to counteract global warming by capping greenhouse gas emissions. Other Republicans in the race are tepid about the issue, setting McCain far, far apart. He's won the endorsement of Republicans for Environmental Protection.

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America is closer to having a coherent, aggressive policy for protecting the climate and combating global warming, with the wins in the Florida primary of Sens. John McCain and Hillary Clinton.

As in the larger political contest, the bigger impact of the Florida primary is on the Republican race. (Democrats won't have delegates counted from Florida, since the state bumped up its primary date against the wishes of the party.)

McCain builds momentum for his campaign, which is outmatched, funding-wise, by Mitt Romney. (Ron Paul doesn't look to have enough support to compete, and Rudy Giuliani may well drop out of the race after the strategic blow of a third- or fourth-place finish in Florida.)

Likewise, the momentum for a coherent strategy for combating global warming is building. McCain is the only Republican candidate who has championed the cause of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He co-authored the first (in 2003), and latest, bills in the Senate that would institute cap-and-trade regulations to staunch the flow of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Romney had recently attacked McCain for his position on climate change, demonstrating that Romney would not be the leader that McCain would on the issue.

Democrats, meanwhile, have all set out aggressive policies for revolutionizing the nation's energy use and reducing global warming. Clinton and Barack Obama, the front-runners, both have aggressive plans that, while different, will both work to counteract global warming and invest in new renewable energy technologies.

That means that, with McCain's win in Florida, it's more likely that the nation will face a choice between two major party candidates who have pledged to take a stand on the most important environmental issue of the day.

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