Obama in Reno

Obama was back on the campaign trail Sunday. Fresh off his vacation, he started in Reno, Nevada, where he talked about differences between his economic plan and McCain's. Besides taxes, he highlighted energy:

Obama also said he wants to commit $15 billion a year to developing new sources of energy. This would reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil and create "5 million new green jobs" that could not be outsourced to other counties.

"We've got a lot of sun here in Nevada," Obama said. "And we can use that to generate energy and free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil.

"Here in Nevada, we should have solar panels all throughout the state, everywhere," he said, his remarks heralding today's energy summit in Las Vegas organized by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Obama said McCain is talking about the need to produce alternative energy sources, but his track record shows the opposite.

McCain has in the past opposed tax credits needed for companies to invest in solar power, he said.

McCain also opposed improving fuel efficiency standards for U.S. vehicles.

"And then he's got the nerve to stand up there on television and talk about how he believes in alternative energy," Obama said. "It's just not true."

Obama also addressed labor concerns:

At Sunday’s invitation-only event at a Reno high school, rather than go after a large crowd, Obama targeted labor supporters. It is a group Obama needs in order to win here.

Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, active in Northern Nevada organized labor, said if the Illinois senator is going to do well in the region, it’s important for him to get rank-and-file members onboard. Even though union leadership has endorsed his presidential bid, members have in the past broken ranks.

“We have a large Republican union membership,” she said.

Obama highlighted his economic plan, his push for renewable energy and his support of labor issues. He also swiped at presumed Republican nominee Sen. John McCain for what he said were “terrible” policies that benefited the wealthiest Americans. He repeatedly tried to tie the Arizona senator to President Bush.

One woman, who said she was a United Auto Workers member, asked: “What can we do to help you?”

Obama replied that the biggest thing union members can do is contact fellow members and shoot down rumors about his religion (he’s Christian) and his stance on gun control (he said he supports the Second Amendment, though he’s in favor of “common sense gun control”).

He also noted that the McCain campaign has come to increasingly resemble George Bush's:

The Illinois senator also criticized McCain's advisers as "the same old folks that brought you George W. Bush. The same team." He noted many had been lobbyists in Washington before McCain asked them to sever all lobbying ties.

Obama added, "They say this other guy is unpatriotic, or this guy likes French people. That's what they said about Kerry," referring to the 2004 Democratic nominee who lost narrowly to Bush. "They try to make it out like Democrats aren't tough enough, aren't macho enough. It's the same strategy."

More from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas Sun, and the Associated Press. Pics here.

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