Obama Promises to 'End the Age of Oil in Our Time'

A day after saying the U.S. could produce enough renewable energy within 10 years to replace all U.S. imports of Middle East oil -- a goal even he admitted sounded "pie in the sky" -- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said "for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, we must end the age of oil in our time."

At the beginning of his town hall meeting focused on energy policy at the Austintown Fitch High School this morning, in this blue-collar burg in a pivotal swing state, Obama told the estimated crowd of 2,400 Ohioans, "I can tell this is a feisty group."

But the senator's feistiness was on display as well, as he mocked his Republican opponent's campaign tactics and energy plan, and pushed an aggressive "use it or lose it" strategy for offshore oil leases.

Seeking to shift focus away from the debate over whether oil companies should be permitted to conduct more offshore drilling exploration, Obama said, "Right now, oil companies have access to 68 million acres where they aren't drilling. So we should start by giving them a choice: use it or lose it. Use the land you have, or give up your leases to someone who will."

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After Obama noted local gas prices -- $3.70 a gallon, "two and a half times what it cost when President Bush took office" – a member of the audience yelled out: "They had a plan!"

"They had a plan," agreed Obama. "Problem was it was the oil company plan. It was the gas company plan. We need a people plan! And that's why I'm running for president."

Energized Battle

Obama also had some words about his opponent.

"John McCain wants to talk about Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton," Obama said, referring to his opponent's TV ad dismissing Obama as a mere "celebrity." "That's his idea of a really relevant campaign. But I don't have time to deal with that mess, because America's facing some serious problems. America's facing some serious challenges."

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee told the crowd how McCain had yesterday in eastern Pennsylvania repeatedly said "we have to drill here and drill now."