You can add Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma to the growing number of prominent Republicans voicing their support for Congressman Todd Akin’s bid for Senator Claire McCaskill’s seat.
Inhofe is the ranking minority member for the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and he joined Akin in criticizing McCaskill’s stance on fossil fuels.
The cap and trade bill would have allowed the government to regulate carbon emissions. But the bill never made it to a vote in the senate, and McCaskill points to letters she sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, where she voiced her disapproval of the bill.
In spite of this, Akin and Inhofe say McCaskill is waging a “War on Coal.”
Akin bashed the Environmental Protection Agency, but stopped just short of saying it should be eliminated.
“I think the EPA needs to be changed significantly – redesigned," Akin said. "Whether you get rid of it or morph it, I guess that’d be a technicality.”
Akin points out McCaskill voted against two bills that would have limited the power of the EPA.
But McCaskill defends her record on energy, saying she’s been a consistent supporter of the Keystone Pipeline.
Follow Chris McDaniel on Twitter: @csmcdaniel
- See more stories on issues and elections from St. Louis Public Radio, the St. Louis Beacon and Nine Network of Public Media at BeyondNovember.org.