Politics | John McCain On Litmus Tests, McCain Won't Always Turn Green GOP candidate trumpets interest in climate change, but votes can be 'erratic' By Jonas Oransky Posted May 12, 2008 2:29 PM CDT Copied Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, center, looks over the shoulder of children while looking at an exhibit at Liberty Science Center. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) John McCain might trumpet his climate-change bona fides—and voters might be giving him credit—but the Republican candidate's true green colors are far more mixed, the Washington Post finds in a look at how he treats environmental issues. McCain wants a federal limit on greenhouse-gas emissions, but voted against higher fuel-efficiency standards and requiring public utilities to boost output from renewable sources. He has stood for protecting public lands, but dismissed the Endangered Species Act when it interfered with development. A top adviser says his man is a true environmentalist, but can’t please “groups who are single-issue, litmus test” types. But a top eco-advocate typifies the ambivalence watchers feel toward him: Of the helpful Republicans, McCain “is perhaps the most unpredictable, erratic.” Read These Next More details coming out about the last party the Reiners attended. First Australia victims lost their lives confronting the shooter. Here's how Rob Reiner's body was found. An MIT nuclear science professor was fatally shot at his home. Report an error