McCain Lubes Up Campaign

Sen. John McCain of Arizona took his Republican presidential campaign offshore Tuesday, touting his energy platform on an oil rig.

Speaking to reporters on the deck of Chevron’s Genesis oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico 150 miles out from New Orleans, McCain vowed that if elected in November “there will be a whole lot more like this, not only here in the Gulf, but also off of our East and West coasts,” The Washington Post reported.

“We need to drill offshore. We need to do it now,” he said.

McCain also lit into his likely Democratic opponent, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, saying he is wrong to oppose new drilling opportunities off the United States’ shores “and the American people know it.”

McCain said he thought Obama would change his mind if he were to visit an oil rig.

Obama contends oil drilling won’t lower prices at the pump in the short run, but says he could support drilling if it’s part of a larger energy legislative package, the Post reported.