McCain in Michigan veers from GOP platform to embrace green-collar jobs

Touts GM’s 2010 concept car: “The eyes of the world are now on the Volt”

During an invitation-only meeting with 500 workers at the General Motors Corp. Technical Center in Warren Friday morning, Sen. John McCain took questions on topics ranging from energy to abortion, the high cost of health care and the war in Iraq. But his chief focus was energy and specifically the Chevy Volt, an electric concept car that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee touted as key to rebuilding the U.S. economy.

McCain, who told Michigan voters during the primaries that some of the jobs that have left the state won’t be coming back, today told the automotive workers about his plan to create jobs and help the environment by investing in green technology.

“The eyes of the world are now on the Volt,” McCain said. “Not only because of the jobs [do] we need to talk about the economy in this great and beautiful state that’s hurting. We have to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil as a national security, economic and environmental issue.”

Continued -The Volt is a lithium ion battery-powered electric car with a small combustion engine that recharges the battery when it becomes depleted. GM anticipates it will be able to go 40 miles without recharging. The car should be available for purchase in late 2010, according to Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman.

McCain struck an upbeat and decidedly environmentally friendly tone, also discussing his support for solar and wind power and for providing incentives for the research on and purchase of battery-powered vehicles. He also said that he wanted all vehicles to be flex-fuel-enabled and every gas station to offer E-85 fuel, but that he is opposed to ethanol subsidies. Michigan is a major corn-growing state and is bringing several new ethanol plants online in the next few years.

Michael McCoy, who works at the Tech Center as a sculptor for Cadillac interiors, said he came to the event as an undecided voter who wanted to learn more about McCain’s views. He said as he was leaving that he needed to hear more about McCain’s ideas on energy, an issue that he believes is “the biggest threat on the horizon for the long-term health of the country.”

Most of the audience gained entry to the event by responding to an e-mailed first-come, first-served invitation. Members appeared to be mainly white collar, though there were some union workers.

The importance of Michigan in November’s election was acknowledged immediately by U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, who introduced McCain. (The GM Tech Center falls in the district represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Sander Levin.)

Miller told the audience its vote “is so critically important in this year’s election. … The reason is this is truly a battleground state; this is a swing state. You’re voting for the entire nation.”

Julie Manning, a salaried United Auto Workers member employed in the Tech Center’s trim department, said she was pro-life and so planned to vote for McCain, but also said she wanted to hear his views on stem-cell research.

McCain responded to a question on abortion and stem-cell reseach by a pro-life audience member by pointing to his record of voting against abortion rights.

But during the press conference, McCain addressed the stem-cell issue directly.

Stem-cell research, he said, is “a valuable contribution to our efforts to cure some of the most terrible and deadly diseases that affect Americans, and I support it.”

Michigan voters will likely vote on a ballot proposal this November on whether to liberalize the current restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research in the state. 

McCain also fielded questions including one about whether states should be allowed to set their own fuel standards.

McCain said he was “torn” on the issue: “At heart I’m a federalist. But it’s also complicated because every state doesn’t manufacture automobiles, and [automobiles] don’t stay within their states. At the end of the day, I think states should be able to set standards, but don’t see why we can’t sit down and work this thing out, and I think the Volt may make this conversation academic.”

But when pressed at a media conference after the event whether he was saying he believed there should be no federal emissions standards, McCain said he would have to get back to the reporter.

The issue is politically sensitive in Michigan because the auto industry has resisted increased fuel standards in the past.

In line with his reputation of never being one to shy away from risking offense to his audience, McCain reiterated his support of free trade, a stance that isn’t always popular in a state that has lost millions of manufacturing jobs to countries overseas.

As with McCain’s visit with small-business owners in Belleville last week, spotting a person of color in the crowd was like playing a game of “Where’s Waldo?”