Responding to the energy speech that John McCain delivered today in California as well as his recent comments on energy and the environment, Obama economic policy director Jason Furman and senior energy adviser Jason Grumet said McCain's new policy proposals stand in stark contrast to his record in the Senate, as well as his proposals from earlier in the campaign.

Speaking on a conference call with reporters, Furman said: "Today, John McCain is talking about CAFE standards. It's notable that over the course of his Senate career, he has multiple times voted against those CAFE standards [2005, 2003, 2002]. Even today he's still not proposing any improvement in those CAFE standards. He's come around to propose a tax credit for zero-emission cars -- that goes against all the tax credits he's consistently voted against in the Senate."

"While Senator McCain again continues to point to national security risks, when push comes to shove he's fundamentally supporting policies that perpetuate the status quo," Grumet said. "The gas-tax holiday is a perfect storm of political pandering.

"The contrast between Senator McCain's recent rhetorical interest in things like vehicle efficiency and fuel economy is fundamentally at odds with his 26-year streak of voting against those very same measures."