Romney Sees Daylight Between McCain and Bush Over Energy Policy

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) suggested that one area where John McCain differs from President Bush is over energy policy.

Romney seemed to lump Bush in with lawmakers in Washington for failing to develop energy sources outside of the Middle East that the United States could draw from.

“You know, the president had his own positions,” Romney said on CNN Wednesday when asked about differences between Bush and McCain. “I think there were places where I see failure in Washington. I don’t know that I’m blaming that on one party or the other, but we should have had an energy policy over the last decade. We should have said it’s time for America to become energy independent, to develop nuclear power. We have no new nuclear power plants in this country. We needed some. We needed to be drilling for oil offshore when states said it was a good idea. We should be doing those things. And that’s something which Republicans and, I think, Sen. McCain agree with.”

McCain has differed from Republicans, including Bush and Romney, in opposing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. McCain has also called for a gas tax holiday that Bush has not supported. Bush, McCain and Romney, however, have called for more investment in nuclear power.