Obama Says Energy Policy Requires Shaking Up The Status Quo

WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) _ Democrat Barack Obama said Saturday the country faces an ``an urgent moral challenge'' to reduce reliance on oil and needs a president willing to defy special interests in

Saturday, August 18th 2007, 2:43 pm

By: News On 6

WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) _ Democrat Barack Obama said Saturday the country faces an ``an urgent moral challenge'' to reduce reliance on oil and needs a president willing to defy special interests in Washington that dictate energy policy.

Obama, casting himself an agent of change in a crowded field of White House hopefuls, suggested that he is voters' best bet to shake up the status quo.

``We've got to have a president in the White House who sets bold targets and sets broad goals and isn't intimidated by the barriers and the roadblocks and isn't driven by those who already have an investment in the status quo _ somebody who can overcome the lobby-driven, divisive politics that characterizes this issue,'' Obama told about 300 people at Waverly Light and Power, the city utility.

Words like ``divisive'' and ``lobby-driven'' are used by Obama supporters to describe Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, a former first lady who is billing herself on the 2008 campaign trail as the only candidate experienced enough to make a change in Washington.

Obama did not mention Clinton or other rivals by name. But he did accused the Bush administration of putting oil industry interests ahead of the public's.

``We've got an energy policy that doesn't just seem like it's written by industry lobbyists,'' he said. ``It was written by energy lobbyists.''

Vice President Dick Cheney led the administration's energy task force, which Obama said met once with environmentalists, once with renewable energy experts and 40 times with oil industry leaders.

Environmentalists have their own special interest groups and lobbyists, but Obama did not decry them.

Obama, Clinton and fellow Democratic candidate John Edwards have been arguing over their ties to lobbyists and special interests.

Obama's visit to this riverside town of nearly 9,000 was one stop in a weekend of activity for Democratic candidates gearing up for a Sunday morning debate in Des Moines.

Most of the candidates were expected at labor forum Saturday night in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

In Waverly, Obama outlined his plans to require the use of more renewable energy, lower carbon in fuels and increase fuel efficiency of cars. Obama noted that his call to increase the number of miles an automobile can go on a gallon of gas upset politically important special interests in Detroit.

But he said smart energy policies are needed to reduce global warming, lower gas prices and make the country less reliant on foreign oil.

``It's an urgent moral challenge that demands attention now,'' he said. ``We can free ourselves from the tyranny of oil.''