McCain Challenges Obama to Lightsaber Duel

From CBS News' John Bentley:

(PANAMA CITY, FLA.) – Playing off Barack Obama’s playful challenge to a “duel” over taxes, McCain offered a response as to the weapons they should use.

“I noticed a couple of days ago that Sen. Obama challenged me to a duel,” he said. “Well, lightsabers is my weapon of choice.”

The choice of a mythical weapon from the “Star Wars” movies aside, McCain criticized Obama for what he says is a failure to support energy alternatives.

“The only thing I’ve heard him say is that we should inflate our tires,” McCain said. “We need oil drilling and we need it now offshore and we need it now. He has consistently opposed it.”

McCain made the comment standing next to Charlie Crist, the Republican governor of Florida who has backed McCain’s plan for offshore exploration off the coast of Florida and has been mentioned as a possible running mate.

“I think that your governor has earned a place in the Republican Party, not just in the state of Florida, but nationally,” McCain said. “We aren’t talking about the process, but everybody knows the respect and appreciation I have for him.”

McCain also addressed charges that his campaign has gone negative because of ads that compare Obama to Paris Hilton, and the accusation by McCain’s campaign manager that Obama brought up the issue of race.

“He brought up the issue of race, I responded to it. Because I’m disappointed, and I don’t want that issue to be part of this campaign, and since his campaign retracted it, I’m ready to move on,” McCain said.

“I don’t think our campaign is negative in the slightest.”