McCain: Obama offers wrong kind of change

KENNER, La., June 3 (UPI) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain took aim Tuesday at Barack Obama, saying the likely Democratic nominee is unprepared to lead the United States.

McCain, who clinched the GOP nomination months ago, said Obama is not the right person to move the nation forward and change the way Washington does business.

While saying Obama would be "a formidable opponent," McCain said the Illinois senator, promises the wrong kind of change.

"This is, indeed, a change election," McCain said. "But the choice is between the right change and the wrong change, between going forward and going backward."

The next president "must be willing to break completely" with the nation's energy policies and "lead a great national campaign to put us on a course to energy independence," McCain told supporters in Kenner, La.

McCain said the nation's dependence on foreign oil threatens the U.S. economy, security and environment.

Government, he said, when it finally takes notice of a problem, "often it just makes matters worse."

"We must unleash the creativity and genius of Americans, and encourage industries to pursue alternative, non-polluting and renewable energy sources, where demand will never exceed supply," McCain said.