Lieberman takes aim at Bush energy proposals, environmental record

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- Democratic vice presidential hopeful Joe Lieberman took aim at the energy proposals of Republican rivals George W. Bush and Dick Cheney during a CNN interview Thursday, accusing the GOP ticket of presenting an agenda "that's exactly what the oil industry wants."

With the Bush campaign set to unveil a 10-year, $7 billion plan to increase the nation's fuel sources during a campaign stop in the battleground state of Michigan, Lieberman chastised the GOP nominee's environmental record in Texas.

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Joe Lieberman is juggling his U.S. vice presidential race with a run to keep his Senate seat. CNN's Frank Buckley reports Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Appearing via satellite from the Lone Star State, Lieberman charged that Bush, a former oil company executive, has failed to enforce environmental standards since he became governor in 1995.

"His record here in Texas, it's been a bad one. Texas has the most toxic pollutants in the country. Houston, where I am this morning, now has the dirtiest air in America and it's affecting people's health," Lieberman said.

Hoping to seize on skyrocketing gasoline and home heating oil prices as a hot-button political issue, the Texas governor's energy plan includes proposals for tax credits for companies that develop alternative fuels and "clean coal" technologies, curbs on utility emissions, heating oil assistance for low-income families, and increased diplomatic pressure on the nation's oil producing allies.

But the most controversial initiative proposed by Bush is the opening of 1.5 million acres of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil exploration and drilling.

"The heart of his energy policy is exactly what the oil industry wants ... which is to drill in one of the most beautiful parts of America, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, for the possibility that we may get some oil seven to 12 years from now, Lieberman said.

Lieberman said the key to lowering U.S. fuel prices is reducing the nation's dependence on oil and natural gas. He said the United States should concentrate efforts on conservation and development of cleaner fuels.

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"In the end, there's just not enough oil and gas within our territory. And if we want to break our dependence on foreign oil ... we've got to develop new sources, fuel cells, cleaner more fuel efficient cars and we've got to get back to conserving and using energy more efficiently and wisely," Lieberman said.

In a rebuttal to charges that Bush's energy plan would result in catastrophic damage to some of Alaska's most pristine wilderness areas, Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, argued that the Gore campaign was exaggerating the facts.

"We are now producing a significant amount of oil from the North Slope of Alaska, all (with) environmentally sound technology," Hagel told CNN. "That environment has not been disrupted ... it's in as good a shape as before we ever put a drill in there."

"And that, by the way, is not a subjective analysis -- that's the analysis of any environmentalist."

Lieberman weighs in on abortion pill

During his appearance on CNN, Lieberman also weighed in on the Food and Drug Administration's decision to approve the sale of the abortion drug, RU-486. Thursday's decision to approve the drug set off a wave of reaction from both sides of the abortion issue and made it an issue in campaign 2000.

Bush released a written statement Thursday that called the FDA's decision "wrong," saying: "I fear that making this abortion pill widespread will make abortions more and more common, rather than more and more rare."

But, Lieberman told CNN that he supported the agency's decision.

"There's a lot of personal and political controversy around this decision, but it just seems to me that this was a group of professionals, of health experts, who made a decision based on what's best for a women's health," Lieberman said. "Therefore, I support it."