Representatives of Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign say the senator is unavailable to speak to the more than 6,000 leading energy investors who read Oil and Gas Investor magazine.

Oil and Gas Investor has asked for interviews with both McCain and Sen. Barack Obama on their views of U.S. energy policy and how they will approach improving U.S. oil independence if elected to the White House.

McCain campaign press representative Crystal Benton says the senator is not available. Obama’s campaign media-relations director has not yet answered.

Energy investor T. Boone Pickens said at Oil and Gas Investor’s Energy Capital Forum in June that 1996 presidential candidate Bob Dole told him he wouldn’t speak on energy issues unless opponent Bill Clinton did, and neither did.

Pickens said he warned Dole and other U.S. leaders then—12 years ago—that the U.S. was heading for an energy crisis in 12 years, and it is now here.

To encourage McCain and Obama to illustrate their view of U.S. energy policy, write to McCain at press@mccain08hq.com and to Obama at media@barackobama.com.