Obama update: ...after one president in the pocket of the oil companies

Obama update: "...after one president in the pocket of the oil companies – we can’t afford another."

Excerpts, as prepared for delivery, from U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s remarks to be delivered at Austintown Fitch High School this morning as provided by his campaign staff:

“Unfortunately, in this election, Senator McCain has proposed an energy plan that’s nothing but four years more of the same.

“He’s offering a plan with no significant investments in alternative energy. He’s offering a gas tax holiday that will pad oil company profits and save you – at best – half a tank of gas over the course of an entire summer. And he’s offering $4 billion more in tax breaks to the biggest oil companies in America – including $1.2 billion to Exxon-Mobil, a company that just recorded the largest profit in the history of the United States.

"A company that, last quarter, made the same amount of money in 30 seconds that a typical Ohio worker makes in a year. All while here in Ohio, you’re paying nearly $3.70 a gallon for gas – two and a half times what it cost when President Bush took office. Senator McCain not only wants oil companies to keep every dime of that money, he wants to give them more. Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think that’s the change we need…

“And while Senator McCain’s plan won’t save you at the pump anytime soon, it sure has done a lot to raise campaign dollars. Senator McCain raised more than $1 million from the oil industry just last month, most of which came after he announced his plan for offshore drilling to a room full of cheering oil executives.

“Because after one president in the pocket of the oil companies – we can’t afford another. For the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, we must end the age of oil in our time…

“But if we seize this moment, and meet the challenge, we can open to door to a new economy for the 21st century that will bring new energy, new jobs and new hope to Youngstown and communities across Ohio and this nation…”