Both McCain and Obama support "Clean Coal" and a Cap and Trade system for carbon credits.

Quote:

McCain
And the same approach that brought a decline in sulfur dioxide emissions can have an equally dramatic and permanent effect on carbon emissions. Instantly, automakers, coal companies, power plants, and every other enterprise in America would have an incentive to reduce carbon emissions, because when they go under those limits they can sell the balance of permitted emissions for cash. As never before, the market would reward any person or company that seeks to invent, improve, or acquire alternatives to carbon-based energy. . . A cap-and-trade policy will send a signal that will be heard and welcomed all across the American economy. Those who want clean coal technology, more wind and solar, nuclear power, biomass and bio-fuels will have their opportunity through a new market that rewards those and other innovations in clean energy. -May 12, 2008

The Chronicle had not concealed the tape, nor where the comments "off-the-record." The recording has been on their website for months.

Obama's statement was clearly referring to the construction of new coal plants.

Quote:

Obama
So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It's just that it will bankrupt them, because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted," he said. In the same interview, the senator said that "if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

Many (including Ohio Republican Senator Voinivich) had expressed concerns that McCain's position also poses a threat to the coal industry.

Obama may very well become the next president. For the sake of everybody's sanity, I recommend that folks seek a variety of sources for information. Drudge and Fox clearly have an agenda to damage Democratic politicians. They have created a distorted picture of what Democrats stand for. A picture that makes it far too easy to demonize and vilify people that want to see a strong and successful America, but have some different ideas on how to achieve that.