“The reality is that Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) can visit oil rigs and do photo ops all he wants, but it is pretty clear from the policies he is advocating that he is literally over the barrel when it comes to the oil industry,” said former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. He spoke on a conference call to discuss Senator McCain’s opposition to a bipartisan energy compromise due to its rollback of tax breaks for oil companies. Vilsack also said that McCain’s opposition to the compromise shows that he has chosen the side of oil companies over the American people, and that he is only open to policies that will help these organizations. Conversely, Vilsack says that Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) plan would roll back these tax breaks and give this money to the middle class in order to assist them with sky-high energy costs. Vilsack said that by instituting policies that push renewable energy, he was able to create more jobs and stimulate the economy for the state of Iowa, as well as make more money available to schools and other programs. He also challenged McCain’s image as a ‘maverick’ who fights corrupt businesses and said, “I think it’s time for McCain to be accountable for the decisions he is making.”