The campaign for Democratic congressional candidate Charlie Brown responded to attacks on energy policy from opponent State Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) by saying Brown had brought up the topic first, and with more credibility, than McClintock.

"We're glad to have this debate," said Brown's campaign manager, Todd Stenhouse. He said Brown agreed with McClintock that Congress should be working on energy policy rather than taking vacation, and that offshore oil drilling should be part of that policy.

But Stenhouse also pointed out that Brown released an energy proposal with those points nearly a month ago, and that federal energy experts believe that most of the offshore oil reserves in the U.S. are already open to drilling.

Stenhouse added that McClintock shouldn't be sending out press releases for another campaign when the state budget is 53 days overdue.

"We believe in a bipartisan approach to energy," Stenhouse said. "I might add that we also believe in a bipartisan approach to the state budget."

He also said criticism of a fundraiser for Brown that was hosted by a Southern California congressman, U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, who is against oil drilling, is unfounded because Brown doesn't agree with Sherman on the issue.

Brown, from Roseville, is competing with McClintock, a well-known vanguard of conservative values in California, for the 4th Congressional District seat.

Registration in the largely rural northeastern California district favors Republicans, and The Pindell Report grades the race as "likely Republican."

EARLIER on PolitickerCA.com:

• McClintock again calls on Brown to support oil drilling