Democrats target McConnell on gas prices

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee began running online ads Thursday that point out Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has raised $580,000 in campaign contributions over the years from the oil and gas industry.

The ads are running on two sites where consumers can search for cheap gas prices, including KentuckyGasPrices.com.

“Rather than fighting for his constituents who are facing record prices at the pump, Mitch McConnell continues to fight for the agenda of the oil industry that’s making record profits,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said in a news release. “Voters are tired of watching their wallets thinning at the tank while Mitch McConnell’s campaign coffers are fattened by the oil companies.”

On Wednesday, McConnell challenged Democratic opponent Bruce Lunsford to state his position on an amendment offered by McConnell to increase domestic energy production, which failed in the Senate after receiving support from only one Democrat.

"We’ve got to get serious about not ruling so much of our own production out of bounds," McConnell said, citing the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, which contains oil reserves. "We’ve got to have a balanced approach of both conservatation and production."

Lunsford responded by saying he opposes drilling in ANWR, calling the proposal "short term political thinking on the part of the Republicans."

He favors placing a wind-fall profit tax on oil companies and approving a federal gas tax holiday this summer.

UPDATE 2:40 P.M.: Justin Brasell, McConnell's campaign manager, responded by calling the DSCC “a nutty bunch.”

“This attack would lead a person to believe that Chuck Schumer and the DSCC were strangers to oil money but the $625,000 they accepted says otherwise so I assume that Bruce Lunsford won’t accept any of their money in Kentucky this cycle," Brasell said in a news release.

From Wednesday's Herald-Leader: Senator challenges Lunsford on issues

- John Stamper

Comments

[Carl]

A gas tax holiday is plain stupid. The oil companies are going to get us one way or the other, either they are the government after the summer. All we have to do is say, we will drill for oil in ANWR, and off the coastal waters. The second we do that, oil prices will go down. It is the fascist democrats and their environmental henchman who are responsible, not Mitch McConnell. Lunsford has no clue, as usual.

[Steve]

How is putting a windfall tax on oil companies going to drive down the price of gas?

Also lets not forget gas prices have soared the last two years and the economy has taken a dive under the watch of a Democrat led congress.

[Josh]

Typical Democrat politics. I heard a sound clip on the radio of Lunsford saying that McConnell had to answer for "the war, high gas prices and the recession".

One... McConnell doesn't have the power alone to bring all the troops home. How's that got anything to do with JUST him? And, aren't Democrats running the show, while everything is going in the tank, anyway?

Two... $580K over "the years" is a bit vague. Even if it is coming from oil companies, if it's over, say, 6 years, that's a drop in the bucket compared to monies some people in Washington are getting from special interest groups.

Three... A recession? Once again, a Democrat flinging around a word when they don't know the definition of it. A recession is when the economy shrinks in two straight quarters; it GREW last quarter.

I don't want anyone who seems to have little sense on the function of government and the definitions of the terms he uses (especially in mud-slinging) representing my state in any way.

[Bob Hope]

Can anyone answer me how these "facts" make any sense with one another?

Bruce Lunsford decries, in his words, short-term political thinking.

Bruce Lunsford supports a summer gas tax holiday and windfall profits taxes.

Bruce, is a gimmick to save $30 bucks this summer your idea of long-term planning for our energy independence?

[Bob]

Either the Democrats are disingenious or plain ignorant. I will let them decide. If you have been to any kind of business school, which I assume most Democrats and Mr. Lunsford have, you know the price is set by supply and demand, simply put. If you compare profit margins of certain industries, oil companies are in the mid range.

[pour the oil over your eyes]

Typical liberal double talk.

Blame anybody but themselves. It is time to fend for ourselves. I say lets take care of ourselves first and then worry about everbody else.

Want us out of Iraq? Okay, lets pull all of our troops out of all countries and bring them home. While we are at it no more kissing the arse of the UN either.

Lets feed our people first then worry about all of the other starving nations. We ahve peolple starving here too.

This is one hillbilly that is damn tired of taking a beating ofr being the good guys. Tell tehm to rub salt in their arse and come home frorm all foreign countries.

[Sam]

Lunsford and his Democrat friends must have been lioving ubder a rock for the past 25 years.

[Roger]

Carl says: "All we have to do is say, we will drill for oil in ANWR, and off the coastal waters. The second we do that, oil prices will go down."

Carl is WRONG:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i_u5JYufG7IzntX-X8DdNouL6rbAD90BNTJ80

"In 2005, the Energy Information Administration estimated that it would take about 10 years before oil would flow from ANWR if drilling were approved. By 2025, it said, the additional oil would have only a slight impact on global oil prices and cause a decline in gasoline prices of less than a penny a gallon, using constant 2003 dollars. Oil imports would drop from an expected 68 percent of U.S. demand to 64 percent, the EIA said."

[Carl is right]

Every little bit helps, Roger. And the Democrats have blocked new oil drilling in Alaska for years. If we had started years ago, we would be better off today. Even a 4% decrease in imports would be huge.

We need to start drilling in ANWAR and the Gulf immediately. We should protect polar bears and other creatures, but there is so much more at stake here than a few bears. The very future of our leadership in the free world is at risk.

We should allow drilling right up to the territorial boundary of Venezuela. Also, we need to work with Canada to develop their oil sands and develop an environmentally-friendly plan to tap the vast oil shale under the Rocky Mts. We need to do all these things along with more nuclear, conservation, solar, geothermal, wind, hydro, clean coal, etc. We need to declare war on dependence upon foreign oil. Once we do that, and show that we are serious, prices will fall. Tell your Democrat friends to get their priorities straight and show leadership in developing new sources of energy.

[AgriMan]

Bet many Republicans wake up this election. McConnell has really done very little for Republicans in Kentucky except convince few that he's the all-knowing/all-great one. He takes credit when a Republican gets elected it but steers clear when his candidate loses. Whole lot of Republicans are tired of ole Mitch and believe he's been in DC long enough to be part of the problem. He cares about Republicans when there is an election and he wants your money for his campaign.