Obama to promote energy policy in Columbus visit

3/16/2012

COLUMBUS — President Obama will make his second visit in little more than a week to the critical battleground state of Ohio.

On Thursday, the Democratic president will cap a two-day tour focused on his “all of the above’’ approach to energy production with a visit to Ohio State University. In an official White House event, the President will tour local advanced energy research projects before speaking.

The tour will focus on solar power in Boulder City, Nev., on oil and gas production in Carlsbad, N.M., and on energy infrastructure development in the Cushing, Okla. area before his Columbus stop. All but Oklahoma are considered battleground states for his re-election in November.

While the Republicans who are vying to be the nominee to oppose him on in the general election have moved on to the next primaries in Missouri, Illinois, and even Puerto Rico, Mr. Obama will take advantage of their absence from Ohio.

He and British Prime Minister David Cameron attended NCAA basketball tournament games in Dayton on Tuesday, and Vice President Joe Biden rallied auto workers in Toledo on Thursday.

“Yet again Ohio is ground zero, not for new solutions from Obama, but for another taxpayer-funded campaign stop to rehash the same policies that have us paying more at the pump and worse off than we were four years ago,’’ said Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee Chairman.