Obama has said McCain’s support for additional offshore oil drilling is evidence that he would effectively give the country another term of the Bush presidency.

“I guess the senator has changed his position since voting for the 2005 Bush energy bill — a grab-bag of corporate handouts that I opposed,” McCain said. “Come to think of it, that energy bill was the only time we’ve ever seen Senator Obama vote in favor of any tax break — and it was a tax break for the oil companies.”

McCain opposed the 2005 measure and said at the time it was larded with billions in unnecessary tax breaks for the oil industry.

McCain said in 2005 he opposed the energy bill in part because, “big oil, coal and gas companies seem to be disproportionately favored under this bill as most of the tax breaks go to traditional industries” at the expense of renewable sources. He also said the measure was too costly.