Voinovich says Biden no friend of coal

While touring Ohio, Joe Biden said he and Barack Obama are opposed to building coal plants or supporting clean-coal technology. Biden's comments and the fact that about 90 percent of Ohio's electricity is generated by coal, created a big target for John McCain's campaign to shoot at today.

"No coal plants here in America," Biden said. "We're not supporting clean coal." (See the video below.)

However, Obama's energy plan said it supports investments for "low emissions coal plants" and spearhead development of carbon sequestration technologies.

The McCain campaign held a conference call for Ohio reporters where U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Cleveland) lambasted Biden's comments recorded during a campaign stop in Ohio.

Voinovich said the truth is that Biden's record shows that he doesn't support coal, which not even Gov. Ted Strickland is opposes.  

"If you look at his voting record, time and time again he has voted for legislation here on the floor of the Senate that in effect would dramatically impact the use of coal in the state of Ohio so he's no friend of coal," Voinovich said.

Republican National Committee co-chair Jo Ann Davidson said she wondered what else Biden and Obama say in private.

"The fact that this comment was made when he was working the rope line, perhaps when he thought nobody was listening to that comment, further makes it hard to believe what they may be saying out there that they're not saying publically," she said.  

Republican state Sen. John Carey from southeast Ohio said Biden's comments were "scary" to him as a resident of a coal-producing area of the state.

Obama spokesperson David Wade said in a statement that Biden's "point is that China is building coal plants with outdated technology every day, and the United States needs to lead by developing clean coal technologies."