Las Vegans to hear McCain’s proposals

Republican presidential candidate John McCain's speech in Las Vegas today will tie together energy policy themes he's been talking about for the last week, McCain's top economic adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin said Tuesday.

Holtz-Eakin said McCain has laid out specific proposals that promise to address the economic, environmental and security ramifications of the energy issue, while all Democrat Barack Obama has done is say "no."

McCain's speech at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas comes the day after an Obama visit to Las Vegas to discuss the same topic, showing that energy has become the focal point for both candidates in recent days.

McCain spent last week stumping across the country rolling out energy proposals. Today's speech at the Tam Alumni Center will be the grand finale, Holtz-Eakin said.

"Senator McCain will be talking about the most important issue facing the country, energy," he said. "He is dealing with real problems by putting a broad array of solutions on the table. The sad fact is, Americans are disappointed in the eight years of the Bush administration. They're tired of a Congress that can't seem to get things done. Washington is broken, and it's time for an energy policy that puts the national interest above party politics."

McCain visited Reno for a town hall and fundraiser in late May. He was last in Southern Nevada for a fundraiser in March, but has never before held an event in Las Vegas that was open to the public.

If McCain wants to talk to Nevadans about energy, he ought to explain how he plans to deal with the nuclear waste that would result from the 45 new nuclear reactors he has said he would build by 2030, said Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

"It's very easy to call for more nuclear energy," Berkley said. "But nuclear energy has a dangerous byproduct: radioactive nuclear waste. Mr. McCain has no plan other than storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain."

Berkley opposes the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain as unsafe, and she noted that if it were to open today, it would already be filled to its capacity of 77,000 tons.

"We don't want the existing nuclear waste, and if there's no other plan, what does he propose to do with the nuclear waste created by 45 new nuclear power plants?" Berkley said.

Holtz-Eakin said McCain continues to support opening Yucca Mountain.

"The senator's laying out to the American people what he believes the appropriate path is," Holtz-Eakin said. "He's willing to take the leadership to examine all these problems and move forward with nuclear power as a solution."

In addition to the morning's energy speech, McCain is scheduled to attend a luncheon fundraiser in the clubhouse of the Southern Highlands golf and residential development. Tickets start at $1,000 per person.

This afternoon, McCain plans to stop by his newly opened regional headquarters in Henderson and greet campaign volunteers.

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.