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Sen. McCain offers $300 million prize for new auto battery McCain calls for offshore drilling McCain offers $300M prize for new auto battery

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FRESNO, Calif. — Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Monday that the search for alternatives to the country's dependence on foreign oil is so urgent that he's willing to throw money at it.

The Arizona senator proposed a $300 million prize for whoever can develop a better automobile battery, and $5,000 tax credits for consumers who buy new "zero-emission" vehicles. The latest proposal is in addition to his support for overturning the federal ban on offshore oil drilling.

"In the quest for alternatives to oil, our government has thrown around enough money subsidizing special interests and excusing failure. From now on, we will encourage heroic efforts in engineering, and we will reward the greatest success," McCain said in a speech at Fresno State University.

Afterward, McCain distanced himself from comments in which top adviser Charlie Black said another terrorist attack this year on U.S. soil would benefit his candidacy against that of Democrat Barack Obama.

Black, who has been in the spotlight for his past work as a lobbyist, is quoted in the coming July 7 edition of Fortune magazine as saying such an attack "certainly would be a big advantage to him."

Black also was quoted as saying the "unfortunate event" of the assassination of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto "helped us."

McCain was startled by the attack comment when asked about it during a news conference after the speech.

"I cannot imagine why he would say it. It's not true," the senator said. "I've worked tirelessly since 9/11 to prevent another attack on the United States of America. My record is very clear."

Citing his work to create a commission to investigate the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as well as his membership on the Senate Armed Services Committee, McCain added: "I cannot imagine it, and so if he said that — and I don't know the context — I strenuously disagree."

Black, who was interviewed by reporters as he stood outside the fundraiser, said he wanted to apologize.

"I deeply regret the comments. They were inappropriate," Black said. "I recognize that John McCain has devoted his entire adult life to protecting his country and placing its security before every other consideration."

McCain's energy speech built off one last week in which he proposed ending a decades-old offshore oil-drilling ban. McCain said gasoline prices of more $4 a gallon make it imperative that the country consider a host of alternatives, including nuclear power and, if the host state approves it, offshore oil drilling.

The $300 million battery bounty amounts to $1 for every man, woman and child in the country. He said such a device should deliver power at 30 percent of current costs and have "the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars."

As for how he would come up with the prize money, the senator said: "I could pay for it by canceling three pork-barrel projects that are unnecessary and unwanted."

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