Obama Attacks "Big Oil"

In a new advertisement airing in the primary battleground state of Pennsylvania, Democrat Barack Obama has launched a full frontal attack on oil companies over a bread-and-butter issue: the cost of gasoline.

By refusing oil company and Washington lobbyist contributions, he said, he will be free of conflicts to impose taxes on windfall profits, invest in alternative energy and create, he pledges, 5 million jobs.

Notably, he doesn't mention either of his rivals, Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican John McCain, the Republican nominee. Clinton, who has taken more money from energy companies than any candidate still in the race, has a similar energy agenda to Obama's: invest billions to jump-start alternative energy research and development, and create millions of new jobs, while capping carbon pollution to slow global warming. McCain has not outlined a specific energy plan.

One question is this: Has the public opinion wind shifted enough for this fundamental energy issue to become a primary part of the political debate? Until now, the Iraq war and more recently the economy have dominated the list of issues at the forefront of voters' minds. Energy and environmental issues have not.

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