Brian Rogers and Doug Holtz-Eakin, the McCain campaign spokesman and senior economic adviser respectively, unveiled a cinematic new line of attack on Sen. Barack Obama’s energy policy today. During today’s McCain campaign-organized conference call, which also featured North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, both campaign officials repeatedly referred to Obama as "Dr. No," the eponymous villain from the first James Bond film, for his opposition to some of Sen. John McCain’s recent energy proposals. Here’s what Rogers had to say:

"I would just say, on the batteries issue, it’s just very clear at this point that Sen. Obama is ‘Dr. No’ on energy security. Today, it was ‘no’ on the $300 million for a new kind of battery. Before, it was ‘no’ on further exploration or the possibility of further exploration off our coasts. It was ‘no’ on gas tax relief that could help this summer families that are hurting. It’s ‘no’ on expanded nuclear power, you know, investments that we can make. So we think we’re seeing a pattern here."

For the record, Obama didn’t actually say "no" to McCain’s battery prize. From Obama’s speech in Las Vegas earlier today:

"I commend [McCain] for his desire to accelerate the search for a battery that can power the cars of the future.  I’ve been talking about this myself for the last few years.  But I don’t think a $300-million prize is enough.  When John F. Kennedy decided that we were going to put a man on the moon, he didn’t put a bounty out for some rocket scientist to win -– he put the full resources of the United States government behind the project and called on the ingenuity and innovation of the American people.  That’s the kind of effort we need to achieve energy independence in this country, and nothing less will do."

And here’s Holtz-Eakin, responding to Obama’s derision of McCain’s claim that new off-shore drilling would have a beneficial "psychological impact." From the conference call:

I’n addition to being the ‘Dr. No’ of energy policy, Barack Obama also has revealed he doesn’t understand the fundamentals of a modern financial market and how it’s a usual way to convey information to participants in our economy…


Futures markets participants understand the real demand for oil that comes from not just U.S. industry, but the global economy. They understand that the supply of oil from the U.S. and other sources. And they understand that efforts to increase supply are going to affect future prices and immediately begin to take into account not only those direct impacts, but the kinds of ancillary incentives that are set up by competitors to oil, by those that would like to maintain a market share when the U.S. is trying to expand its production, and they will react, as well."

I, for one, welcome this development. If the McCain camp decides to pursue this attack, it could produce some entertaining Bond-themed advertising, starring the Arizona senator, clad in a tuxedo. Shaken or stirred?? The mash-up possibilities are endless.