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On Climate Bill, The Wooing Of John McCain May Take Longer

By Siobhan Hughes, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Efforts by U.S. Senate Democrats to persuade Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to endorse their climate legislation may take a bit longer.

Democrats have spent months reaching out to McCain through Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. The outreach appeared likely to step up after McCain's friend, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., over the weekend became the first Republican this year to sign on to a bipartisan climate-change plan.

But that hasn't been enough. On Tuesday, McCain said that he had problems with the proposed deal, which calls for imposing tariffs on goods imported from countries that fail to take steps to combat climate change.

"I know that I would never agree to tariffs on the borders for countries that don't comply with our requirements," McCain told reporters.

The one-time Republican presidential nominee is a longtime supporter of mandatory reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions.

-By Siobhan Hughes, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6654; Siobhan.Hughes@ dowjones.com

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
  10-13-091959ET
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