Last year in South Carolina:

“…when a College of Charleston student asks Mr. McCain, a 71-year-old Republican from Arizona, what he personally is doing to reduce greenhouse gases, he offers that he bought one of those eco-trendy cars for his 22-year-old daughter, Meghan.

‘What’s it called, a Purr-ess? Pryuss? Peer-uss?’

‘Prius,’ someone calls out.

‘Yeah, Py-russ,’ the candidate clarifies.

‘No, Prius.’

‘O.K., Prius, Prius,’ Mr. McCain says like a chastened schoolboy. ‘I ought to know the name of it; I paid for it.’”

Read the full New York Times article here

Fast forward to last Sunday, when McCain was being interviewed by Detroit TV. He was asked about the purchase and why he didn't buy one of the many American hybrids available. McCain claimed he didn't buy it.

Read The Motortrends Blog about it
Read The Detroit Free Press Article
Read The USA Today Article

John McCain says he has a “philosophical” objection to “Buy American” requirements – and strongly opposed requiring American-made motorcycles for the Secret Service. [Congressional Record, 7/14/05]

According to McCain, "Buy American" is:

• "perverted" [Daily Press, 5/4/97]
• "unnecessary and counter-productive" [Congressional Record, 1/26/96]
• "disgraceful … I cannot be more strong in my views without using four letter words." [Defense Daily, 5/14/97]

Barack Obama opposes spending American tax dollars to buy foreign motorcycles for the Secret Service. He knows the finest motorcycles in the world are made right here in America.

Obama supports the men and women of Harley-Davidson, one of the flagship companies of American manufacturing. For more than 100 years, they have been setting the standard for the entire industry. Obama believes that insisting on these American-made motorcycles isn’t “protectionist” – it’s just plain common sense.

Barack Obama will also end tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas – tax breaks that John McCain has voted to protect.

[S 1637, Vote 83, 5/5/04; Passed 60-39: R 51-0; D 8-39; I 1-0]