Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Claire McCaskill says she’s looking for solutions to the high gasoline problem in Missouri and throughout the country. To that end, she’s encouraging investment in renewable energy such as ethanol production. She believes U.S. energy policy must shift away from tax breaks for the big oil companies. During a telephone conference call with reporters, McCaskill said the renewable energy proposals are part of a plan she intends to formally unveil during a statewide tour next week. In talking up increased use of ethanol, McCaskill criticized incumbent Republican Senator Jim Talent’s record on ethanol support. McCaskill says that when she and Talent served in the Legislature, she voted in favor of ethanol use while he voted against it. McCaskill also blasts the Energy Bill, supported by Talent, saying “the oil companies got the steak dinner, and the ethanol industry got the saltine crackers.”