Barack Obama, in his Aug. 28 speech accepting the 2008 presidential nomination before an audience of 80,000 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver during the Democratic National Convention:
". . . And for the sake of our economy, our security and for the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East. We will do this.
"Washington has been talking about our oil addition for the last 30 years, and by the way, John McCain has been there for 26 of them. And in that time, he has said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investment in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil than we had on the day that Sen. McCain took office.
"Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stopgap measure, not a long-term solution. [It's] not even close.
"As president, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean-coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies retool so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America.
"I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars, and I'll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy – wind power, solar power and the next generation of biofuels – an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced . . ."
"And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise requires more than money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our intellectual and moral strength. Yes, government must lead on energy independence. But each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient."
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