McCain Camp's Knock On Obama: He's A "No" Man

On a conference call organized by the McCain campaign this morning, Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl and McCain senior policy advisor Doug Holtz-Eakin took aim at Barack Obama over energy policy.

Kyl told reporters that back in the Senate they are referring to Obama with the phrase "No We Can't," as opposed to "Yes We Can." McCain spokesman Brian Rogers yesterday called Obama the "Dr. No" of energy security for opposing a gas tax holiday, offshore drilling, and expanded investment in nuclear power.

The reference, for the record, is to the James Bond film from 1962 starring Sean Connery. (Dr. No was the bad guy.) Obama yesterday called those policy suggestions, which McCain backs, "not serious."

On the conference call this morning, CBS News' Allison O'Keefe reports, Kyl said that McCain takes a more balanced approach than his rival. "He recognizes that we need more production," Kyl said, but that there also need to be "environmental check and balances."

By contrast, Kyl said, Obama doesn't offer solutions, opting instead to just say no to every proposal. "No we can't drill off shore; not a proponent of nuclear so we can't do that either," he said.

Asked about Obama's charge that some of McCain's proposals amount to a gimmick, Holtz-Eakin suggested that Obama might want to take time out to read a text book, arguing that futures markets depend on optimism and confidence.

UPDATE: This afternoon, the McCain camp unveiled a web-only ad with a "Dr. No" theme. "Barack Obama Truly Is The Dr. No Of Energy Security," the spot concludes. Check it out: