The campaign of presumptive presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) held a conference call Thursday afternoon to announce their statewide Ohio leadership team and talk about energy ahead of a visit to Dayton by presumptive presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.)

Former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Springfield) was introduced as the state chair for the McCain campaign in Ohio. DeWine announced five Ohio regional chairs for the campaign.

DeWine announced that Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters will act as regional chair for Southwest Ohio; U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) will act as regional chair for the Northwest portion of the state; the Northeast Ohio Chair is Brecksville Mayor Jerry N. Hruby; U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Columbus) is the Central Ohio chair; and state Sen. John Carey (R-Wellston) will act as Southeast Ohio Chair.

Much like the Democratic conference call with Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) focused on energy following McCain's visit to Portsmouth, Ohio, this call also focused on the issue of energy.

Before making chair announcements, DeWine took the opportunity to talk about Obama's "energy security" town hall meeting in Dayton.

"It's just hard to have an energy security plan when you're on record opposing every initiative to provide the American people with both short-term and long-term relief from higher gas prices," DeWine said.

DeWine quoted Obama as saying last month that the facts have not changed, only the politics on energy policy.

"Actually, the facts have changed," he said. "And every person in Ohio knows it by the gas. Today, we're paying, in most places, over $4 a gallon for gas. And these high prices demand that we really do something now to provide relief."

DeWine said Obama is willing to ignore these critical facts as he remains committed to his party line.

"He, himself, actually said the only problem he has with higher gas prices is that they went up too fast," he said.

DeWine said Obama has proposed a do-nothing, out-of-touch energy policy. DeWine said McCain offers a comprehensive policy.

Northwest regional chair U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) said that the American people get it, and know they need more supply.

"Sen. Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress don't get it," he said.

Jordan said that they know that America needs to drill more.

Jordan said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) advocated drawing from the strategic oil reserves.

"Thereby admitting that it's a supply concern," he said. "We need to drill more. The American people understand that. That's why we need to look into what's available in the continental shelf, what's available in ANWR, what's available in Western lands, federal lands, that has to happen."

Jordan said families are tired of "the point-the-finger" and want to see action and more supply.

Central Ohio regional chair U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Columbus) said that when Obama presents his energy plan he's going to have a big wake-up call in regards to the appetite for more drilling.

"When you want to tax coal, and when you want to tax natural gas and you don't want to explore more domestically here in America, which is his plan - not to explore any more for oil and natural gas - Ohioans are going to react pretty negatively," he said. "I think he's in for a rude awakening, that his energy policy, or lack thereof, is out of step with Ohio. And I think that will begin tomorrow."

Southeast Ohio chair state Sen. John Carey (R-Wellston) said that McCain realizes that coal is one of Ohio's main natural resources. Carey said McCain is in favor of clean coal technology and recognizes the importance of coal to an area such as Southeast Ohio.

Northeast Ohio chair, Brecksville Mayor Jerry Hruby (R) said McCain is his candidate and will be Ohio's candidate because he believes in a strong energy policy.

"He recognizes its need, energy policy, to create jobs," he said, referring to clean coal technology. "This state will be very important in developing and working with his administration in clean coal technology. He also spoke about off-shore drilling - increasing the supply - he gets it. Sen. Obama does not. He does not believe that that is a solution. What he doesn't get is the fact that while we are drilling offshore, and increasing the supply, we are decreasing our dependence on others."

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