Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton answers a question about high gas prices in her latest ad, Rob Christensen reports. 

What the ad says: "I told you I wanted to have a conversation, so I asked you to send me your questions and concerns, and so many North Carolinians have done that. Tammie Bright from Cherryville says: 'We in North Carolina are feeling the crunch of rising gas prices. It's harder for working families even to afford to drive to work. What are your plans on reducing the rising cost of gas?' Well, Tammie, I hear this everywhere. People like you and everyone else are paying way too much at the pump. We need to reach energy independence, and the only way we'll do that is to stop buying oil from over there and start creating alternative, renewable energy over here. I'd invest $150 billion in research and development of new kinds of energy. Let's put more hybrid vehicles on the fast track. And when we create new clean energies and technologies, we'll be creating new jobs right here in North Carolina. So there'll be plenty of work to drive to. Thanks for keeping the questions coming. Just go to NCAskMe.com. I'm Hillary Clinton, and I approved this message."

The background: Most of Clinton’s comments are either campaign promises or are not specific. She has received $306,000 — out of $169 million raised — from oil and gas industry executives, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The Barack Obama campaign has also noted that she is not unfriendly to the oil industry, having voted in 2004 for the Jobs Creation Act, which provides an estimated $9.4 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas companies over 11 years.

The Clinton campaign said that all of North Carolina's Democratic congressmen voted for the bill, which provided tax relief to 94 million Americans.

Is the ad accurate? Yes.

Hillary Clinton has answered the first question at NCAskMe.com.

As part of a North Carolina ad campaign, the Democratic presidential candidate asked residents to pose their questions for her to answer on TV.

The first question selected was by Tammie Bright, 40, of Cherryville. A mother of three, she makes truck parts for a living, according to the Clinton campaign.

She asked, "What are your plans on reducing the rising cost of gas?"

In her 60-second response, Clinton says that she would promote alternative energy, invest in research and encourage the manufacture of hybrid vehicles.

The Clinton campaign said it received nearly 10,000 questions through the Web site, and staffers and volunteers are calling back each person.

Incidentally, the only Tammie Bright registered to vote in Cherryville is a Republican.

In her latest ad in North Carolina, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton answers a question about high gas prices from Tammie Bright of Cherryville.