Barack Obama continues to push energy plan in Ohio
Another swing state hears the presidential candidate's agenda, which includes a $1,000-per family energy rebate. John McCain is scheduled to visit a Michigan nuclear power plant today.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Democrat Barack Obama called once again today for an end to the nation's addiction to oil, as he continued to battle Republican John McCain over energy policy.
The U.S. economy "is in turmoil, with more and more of our families struggling with rising costs, falling incomes and lost jobs," Obama said at a town hall-style campaign stop here. "Central to each of these challenges is the question of what we will do about our addiction to foreign oil."
For the second day, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee pressed his energy agenda in a political swing state and increased his criticism of McCain, whom the Illinois senator linked to the Bush administration and Vice President Dick Cheney.
"When George Bush took office," Obama said today, "he turned to Dick Cheney and he told Cheney go take care of this. And Cheney proceeded to meet with renewable energy groups once, and met with the oil companies 40 times.
"John McCain has taken a page out of the Bush-Cheney playbook. He's offering a plan with no significant investments in alternative energy," Obama said.
"While Sen. McCain's plan won't save you at the pump any time soon, I have to say this, it sure has raised him a lot of campaign dollars," Obama said. "Sen. McCain raised more than $1 million from the oil industry just last month, just last month, most of which came after he announced his plan for offshore drilling to a roomful of oil executives."
The McCain campaign rebuffed efforts to portray the Republican as more concerned with oil company profits than with consumers' pain at the pump.
"Barack Obama is opposed to offshore drilling and is also opposed to admitting that he voted for the same corporate giveaways for Big Oil that he's campaigning against today," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds.
Obama voted for a 2005 energy bill, opposed by McCain but backed by Bush, that included billions in subsidies for oil and natural gas production. The Obama campaign defended the vote because the legislation included sizable investments in renewable energy.
Obama touched on the key points of his energy plan today, including a $1,000-per family energy rebate to be financed by a windfall profits tax on oil companies. Obama also has proposed borrowing from the strategic petroleum reserve in a move to lower gasoline prices and a resumption of some offshore oil drilling as part of an effort to ease the current energy crunch.
