Inside Politics

McCain’s pledge

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain told voters yesterday that if he becomes commander in chief he will brief the public biweekly from the Oval Office on developments in the Iraq war.

“I would tell them exactly what the battlefield scenario is,” Mr. McCain told about 450 people packed into a VFW post in Murrells Inlet, S.C., a town south of Myrtle Beach.

The Arizona senator emphasized that he wasn’t guaranteeing victory in Iraq, the Associated Press reports.

“Am I telling you we’re going to succeed? No. But I’m telling you I think we’ve got a good chance of succeeding,” he said.

Mr. McCain decried the idea of a timeline for U.S. withdrawal from the country, saying it would spawn chaos, and committed to a long-term fight on terrorism. “We’re going to win. We will. We will never surrender,” Mr. McCain said.

When asked by an audience member whether he’d do a better job than President Bush in communicating regularly with the public, Mr. McCain said he would give updates about the war on national television every two weeks, a map of Iraq at the ready.

Hill showcase

It might soon be Earth Day every day at the U.S. Capitol.

Daniel P. Beard, the House chief administrative officer, tells Democratic leaders the Capitol and House office buildings “should be a showcase for sustainability” and said lawmakers pushing green practices “provide leadership by example,” The Washington Times’ blog Fishwrap reported yesterday.

“Environmental responsibility is our duty to future generations. Now is the appropriate time to act to reduce our energy consumption as well as our energy dependence,” Mr. Beard writes in a report outlining efforts to “Green the Capitol.” The Washington Times obtained a portion of the forthcoming report.

“Congress should set the highest standards for environmental stewardship and sustainable energy use,” he said. “To accomplish this, we will need to change the way we do business.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and two top Democrats had asked Mr. Beard last month to embark on a greening initiative, saying then, “The Capitol complex should lead the nation in preserving our planet for future generations.”

“As a result of your directive, I have undertaken a review of the House operating procedures with respect to energy conservation, sustainability and related matters,” Mr. Beard said.

Story Continues →