Click here to watch "Purpose."

In a new ad released today, "Purpose" (subscription), John McCain continues his theme of energy independence as a quest not unlike the mission to the moon in the 1960s.

"American technology protected the world. We went to the moon, not because it was easy, but because it was hard," an announcer says in the ad. "John McCain will call America to our next national purpose: energy security."

On Wednesday, McCain finally put a name to the energy plan he has been shaping -- the Lexington Project -- and asserted that it will overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, just like John F. Kennedy's call for a moon mission did nearly half a century ago. The ad reflects McCain's call for "domestic drilling" and "energy alternatives."

The ad never mentions the Republican senator's party affiliation. Perhaps in an attempt to target independent voters -- who are going for Democrat Barack Obama in several swing states, according to new polling -- the announcer stresses that it's a "bipartisan plan."