The Obama and McCain campaigns blasted each other today over energy policy, with the Obama campaign pointing out that a speech McCain gave today calling for alternative-energy development is directly at odds with his entire career. Energy policy could be key in this race because it's become the principal issue on which McCain is hoping to achieve separation from President Bush and the GOP. By stressing his supposed "green" credentials, McCain is hoping to keep alive the sense that he's a "maverick" and defuse the Democratic attack line that he's the "McSame" as Bush. On a conference call just now with reporters, Obama's director of economic policy Jason Furman charged that McCain is now backing alternative energy research, but he's consistently voted against research and fuel-efficiency standards in the past. Here's the audio from the call: Click To Play ...