More fuel thrown on energy debate

Senators Barack Obama and John McCain tussled again yesterday over energy policy, taunting each other over who had the most inane conservation idea as much as debating substantive differences.

McCain has been mocking Obama for days for suggesting that one way to ease the energy crisis is to keep tires properly inflated.

So the Obama campaign jumped on a comment McCain made Tuesday night: "Senator Obama a couple of days ago said that we ought to all inflate our tires, and I don't disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it." But the McCain campaign accused Obama's campaign of selectively editing the comment, noting that the presumptive GOP nominee added, "But I also don't think that that's a way to become energy independent."

Then, the Obama campaign highlighted McCain's suggestion in April: "We can turn out the lights five minutes earlier, we don't have to drive the extra block."

Campaigning in Jackson, Ohio, yesterday, McCain continued to pump up his "all of the above" plan for energy independence, including more offshore oil drilling, more nuclear power, and more renewable sources, solar and wind.

He criticized Obama again for not fully embracing nuclear power, saying, "He's out of touch." Obama replied in Elkhart, Ind., that McCain is too close to Big Oil. "Senator McCain's energy plan reads like an early Christmas list for oil and gas lobbyists. And it's no wonder - because many of his top advisers are former oil and gas lobbyists," Obama said at a town hall meeting.

Obama's campaign, meanwhile, announced two moves to spread his energy message. It wanted an ad to appear on video screens atop gas pumps across Florida, hitting McCain for not taking steps to solve energy problems during 26 years in Congress and promoting Obama's plan for renewable energy and $1,000 rebate to pay energy costs as he promises to "break the grip" of foreign oil.

But Obama's plan was nixed by Gas Station TV. "We have made a conscious decision not to run political ads on our network," said CEO David Leider, adding the decision had nothing to do with the ad's message.