BeyondDC is supposed to be a local blog. We’re here to focus specifically on urbanism in the DC area. So we feel guilty writing so many entries about national politics lately, but dammit, this stuff is important.

Here are two good reasons why Barack Obama is the closest we have to an “urban issues” candidate, in addition to the fact that he is the only one to oppose the gas tax holiday scam:

• He is the only candidate to say expanded rail service should be a bigger part of the national discussion. Conversely, McCain is one of Amtrak’s biggest enemies.
• All the candidates have proposed carbon cap-and-trade systems, but Obama’s is the best, especially compared to McCain’s. Obama wants a 90% reduction by 2050 rather than McCain’s 60%, and while Obama wants to make polluters buy carbon permits so the government can spend profits on environmental programs, McCain wants to subsidize polluters by giving credits away for free.

The more the candidates talk about the environment and transportation, the more clear it becomes that John McCain is anything but a moderate, and that Hillary Clinton, while better, is no Barack Obama.