Obama Ad: McCain In "Pocket" Of Big Oil

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Advertising

As we mentioned in Starting Gate, Barack Obama's campaign has released a new ad called "Pocket" that suggests John McCain is "in the pocket of big oil."

You can watch it below.

"Every time you fill your tank, the oil companies fill their pockets," an announcer says in the spot, which opens on a shot of a car's gas tank. "Now Big Oil's filling John McCain's campaign with 2 million dollars in contributions. Because instead of taxing their windfall profits to help drivers, McCain wants to give them another 4 billion in tax breaks." (Here's a report from Campaign Money Watch on McCain's ties to the oil industry.)

The spot then cuts to a picture of McCain standing with President George W. Bush.

"After one president in the pocket of big oil, we can't afford another," the announcer says. "Barack Obama: A windfall profits tax on big oil to give families a thousand dollar rebate. A president who'll stand up for you."

"Barack Obama's latest negative attack ad shows his celebrity is matched only by his hypocrisy, after all it was Senator Obama, not John McCain, who voted for the Bush-Cheney energy bill that was a sweetheart deal for oil companies," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said in response to the spot. "Also not mentioned is the $400,000 from big oil contributors that Barack Obama has already pocketed in this election."

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

17 Comments +

Add a Comment

See all 17 Comments


by jefflz-2009 August 4, 2008 10:28 PM EDT: Predictably McCain supporters are unable to deal with any attacks on McCain''s version of Bush policies. OK, so the dollar amount may be a bit high ($2M vs. $1.3M according to fact check) but this is no Karl Rove-style smear. Lets face it, McCain is a such a fundamentally flawed candidate, all that Obama has to do is cite the facts. No Big Lies, Smears or Dirty Tricks. Kind of nice for a change. McCain should fire the Rovian Bushites and get back to the issues.; Reply to this comment


by cbsnewsblog1 August 4, 2008 7:17 PM EDT: The irony of this ad is unescasping after looking at this shocking Obama McCain cartoon that Saudi newspaper had published few days earlier:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasite/images/iht_daily/D240708/Arab_cartoons_ADL.jpg

www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1005113.html; Reply to this comment


by roy214 August 4, 2008 7:10 PM EDT: First I cant believe the poll result 45 to 44 seem to me MCcain have knowleged of something or some way of certain people how they see thing in make decision.As for me I dont think Mccain could and will never be the leader that America diserve.1)He is a liar 2)He is a very sick man He try twice to commit suicide (ref:thechristian post)3)He Isn''t the right Man for the White House because He is to sick to possess with wars He have the nick Name of the white tornado" this Man is sick with wars like this is the first and only way of life,peoples needs to realized that war we must fight and will fight but it must be of great cause for the safety of the Americans peoples even one but unneccesary or for personal gain even worst for sickness reason. according to one of MCcain Seragate senator Graham and Lieberman MCcain is best fit to lead in times of war, aint we tired of been tired of this wars one we should of not been fighthing right now in Iraq,aint we not tired of been tired and as for Obama I say to trust in the Lord God and He will see you true and you better" strap on your armor and hang on " for we know you will Rock Him.may the Lord be with you and God Bless America.; Reply to this comment


by shingles1 August 4, 2008 6:37 PM EDT: A couple days after McCain switched positions on offshore drilling, 10 high level employees of Hess each contributed $28,500 towards McCain''s presidential efforts - a total of $285,000 in one day. What''s particularly sketchy is that, in addition to these ten, a low level Hess "office manager" and her husband, an Amtrak worker, both chipped in $28,500 apiece on the same day that all those Hess execs did.

I ask you: How many typical middle class families have $57,000 laying around to donate to a candidate?

Montopoli - get one of your guys to ask McCain about this before you get beaten to the punch.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 August 4, 2008 6:20 PM EDT: The Bush Administration desired for the new imposed Iraqis Parliament to pass a law privatizing their Oil Production. The Oil Production Profit Sharing Agreement would%u2019ve gave all the Oil Operating rights and the majority of the profits to 5 Multinational Oil Corporations for a long term 30 year deal with no provisions for the Iraqi People. Of Course the Iraqi Parliament told Bush %u201CNO!%u201D and, contracted a different agreement with the Oil Companies in which they would be working for the Iraqis.

Corruption is the mainstay of the Conservative Republican Agenda, the People of the United States need to send a message to the Republican/Exxon Oil Corporation telling them that we%u2019re not giving them our Offshore Oil unless they agree to lower gasoline prices by producing Domestic Oil from already approved locations.

The American People have to pay for the Iraq War, and now we also have to pay an over inflated price for Oil. The Republicans are ripping America Off coming and going.; Reply to this comment


by rol_38 August 4, 2008 5:39 PM EDT: I am an ex-marine and a republican. I can confirm that the war in Iraq is based on personal greed by Bush and McCain to amass oil using our troops to gain their egos! Do you call these rogues "patriots"? I am white but I am shamed to identify myself with MccAIN AND bUSH. MY VOTE WITH OVER 3500 MARINES WILL GO TO OBAMA. WE ARE NOT FOOLS TO BE FOOLED ANYMORE BY THESE FOOLS (mCcAIN AND bUSH). eLECTION DAY WILL BE A BIG SHOCK OF MCCAIN''S SOUL! HE WILL LOSE WOEFULLY! MCCAIN IS SHAMELESS, USING HIS VIETMESE FAILURE AND FLOP TO MANIPULATE VOTES! HE AINT A HERO, HE IS A FAILURE! A BIG TIME FAILURE!; Reply to this comment


by rol_38 August 4, 2008 5:32 PM EDT: I am an ex-marine!!!
With all his negative ads, MCcain has still not told the public: (1) what qualifies him to be elected as President; (2) What wars he has ever won that he claimed to be a better commander-in-chief; (3) how many wars has he ever fought? (4) what does he have to say about trust, if he dared to ditch his faithful wife, will he ever be faithful to our nation? People, read the facts and do not be deceived by negative ads that conceal the true nature of its inventors. More than 2500 ex-marines and about 3000 marines are for Obama and we shall vote him - election day will be a shocking moment that may send many of MccAin''s supporters to eternity.! I, now cast a doubt on MccAIN''S faith! He is absolutely not a christian, if he is, he will never taunt and discredit the Christian faith that upholds our constitution from time immemorial. Though republican and white, my vote will go for OBAMA.; Reply to this comment


by rol_38 August 4, 2008 5:30 PM EDT: I am an -ex-marine and more patriotic than MccAIN in that I have fought more wars than MCain. I have served more years in the military than McCAIN. But it sounds ridiculous to hear McCAIN TAlKING about how he knows how to win wars but failed to mention one that he had ever won! I am a republican but I will never sell out my country to McCAIN. McCain is too risky to lead a country. Besides, I am flabbergasted to see the amount of MCcAIN PAID SUPPORTERS IN every web news who keeps arguing among themselves, changing their names and logging on and off with different unaccountable names fighting to dominate the sites with misrepresented information, news; attacking Obama and his supporters in evry corner and even attacking themselves. mCCain Supporters who are on weekly wages are unpatriotic and doll-eyed fools who for money can do anything just as their lord and master who ditched his first wife for a woman with money!; Reply to this comment


by obbcbs August 4, 2008 5:18 PM EDT: The war in Iraq was based on lies. One big lie was that there were IRAQI''''s involved in the anthrax murders. McCain said in 2001, HE HAD A SOURCE (WINK!!!) that told him, the IRAQI''''s did the anthrax. NOW WE KNOW, the anthrax murders were done by bio-terrorism experts working in Maryland at a US federal FORT.
So.. since false propaganda leading the USA into war is a CRIME, who is McCAIN HIDING?
WHO IS THE LIAR WHO PUT OUT THE DISINFORMATION TO MAKE THE SENATE GO TO WAR TO SAVE YOU FROM THE WMDs of the IRAQI''''s, when in fact they knew it was an INSIDE JOB. McCain is protecting the WHITE HOUSE man who committed treason. WHO?; Reply to this comment


by obbcbs August 4, 2008 5:15 PM EDT: NO one person runs this country, but the speeches are an indication of the intention and the direction. The intention of McCain is to continue the Bush tax cuts for the richest. The intention of Obama is to eliminate all taxes for persons on social security and for all persons making UNDER the federally defined poverty level. For either of them to make good on their promises or threats, the Senate must reflect the point of view of the president to some degree.
Therefore, the claims of the right wing, that all Obama is, is speeches, is not accurate. His speeches will become law if more people vote for DEMOCRATIC Senators than they usually do. Things will stay the same if the same Senators are elected. We shall see. But one thing is sure, most of what the right wing is saying is lies, misrepresentations and bunk.
The war in Iraq was based on lies. One big lie was that there were IRAQI''s involved in the anthrax murders. McCain said in 2001, HE HAD A SOURCE (WINK!!!) that told him, the IRAQI''s did the anthrax. NOW WE KNOW, the anthrax murders were done by bio-terrorism experts working in Maryland at a US federal FORT.
So.. since false propaganda leading the USA into war is a CRIME, who is McCAIN HIDING?
WHO IS THE LIAR WHO PUT OUT THE DISINFORMATION TO MAKE THE SENATE GO TO WAR TO SAVE YOU FROM THE WMDs of the IRAQI''s, when in fact they knew it was an INSIDE JOB. McCain is protecting a man who committed treason. WHO? WHY?
What is the payoff? The nomination and good press support?!!; Reply to this comment