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Quote of the Week

"If Democrats expand their congressional majorities, prospects will be very good for consumers -- and bad for oil companies."
-- Tyson Slocum
Director of the consumer group Public Citizen's energy program

From 20,000 Feet: Strengthening Our Majority

The Los Angeles Times wrote last week, "As voters steam over gas prices, Republican congressional candidates are bracing for a gusher of ads from now until Election Day attacking their ties to oil companies" and "Democrats are taking aim."

So who has the most to lose in November? "Amid the onslaught, the oil industry is increasingly worried about this year's election. Oil executives could face a bigger Democratic majority in Congress and a Democrat in the White House, both set on repealing industry tax breaks and imposing a windfall profits tax."

Just listen to what a member of the Independent Petroleum Association of America had to say: "We're bracing for the worst."

Luckily for Big Oil, some Republican Senate candidates are making arguments on their behalf. Steve Pearce in New Mexico said, "At a time when we're facing $4 gasoline, I think that you need people who've been in the energy industry to tell us what to do." With logic like that it's no wonder he's running more than 20 points behind.

And in case you missed it, click here to see the new website Bought By Big Oil, our latest effort to remind voters about the connections between oil company dollars and Republican policy.

Colorado: Pulling no punches

"Congressman Mark Udall came out swinging Monday against GOP challenger Bob Schaffer in the second of nearly a dozen planned debates in their U.S. Senate race," according to the Pueblo Chieftain.

"Udall, a five-term congressman, repeatedly attacked Schaffer on his energy stance, calling the former congressman an oil executive who likes to see high gas prices."

Udall: "There's a clear contrast here. I'm clearly somebody who's going to work across the board to drive down gas prices. Congressman Schaffer talks about the situation we're in, but he doesn't acknowledge that he played a key roll in getting us in this situation."

Yet again, Schaffer's shady dealings over Kurdish oil became a campaign issue. Udall "said he's traveled to Iraq twice to visit U.S. troops, adding that Schaffer only went there once, and that was to cut an oil deal."

According to the Chieftain, Schaffer "said he did help Aspect Energy negotiate an agreement with the Kurdish Regional Government over the objections of the U.S. State Department, which had a policy against such contracts. Udall said that contract could make it harder for the U.S. to leave Iraq gracefully because it could add more tensions to the region."

Kentucky: Lunsford goes on the offense

"A week after U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell released his first television attack ad in his re-election campaign, Democrat Bruce Lunsford returned fire," reported the Louisville Courier-Journal, "linking millions of dollars raised by McConnell to his votes in favor of the oil industry."

The Lunsford ad "quotes editorials in The Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader that panned McConnell's original ad and flashes the word 'dishonest' on the screen, a word that appeared in the Herald-Leader editorial. It then goes on the offensive against McConnell."

Lunsford's ad says, "McConnell raised $3 million from big oil while voting to give them billions in tax breaks. But he blames others for high gas prices, hoping voters can be fooled one more time."

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