On second thought, Obama OK with offshore drilling

LANSING, Mich. -- Barack Obama put forward a broad energy plan Monday designed to end U.S. reliance on imported oil within 10 years.

Obama's proposal includes two significant reversals of positions he has taken in the past: He had steadfastly fought the idea of limited new offshore drilling and was against tapping the nation's emergency oil stockpile to relieve pump prices.

In a speech in Michigan, the Democratic presidential nominee in waiting also endorsed long-term work on hybrid cars and renewable energy sources.

''Breaking our oil addiction is one of the greatest challenges our generation will ever face,'' he said. ''It will take nothing less than a complete transformation of our economy,'' he said.

John McCain, speaking in Pennsylvania, again advocated more oil drilling off the U.S. coast. ''Anybody who says that we can achieve energy independence without using and increasing these existing energy resources either doesn't have the experience to understand the challenge that we face or isn't giving the American people some straight talk,'' he said.

AP