Campaigns Slinging Oil Money Allegations

[Judi Lynn]

Campaigns Slinging Oil Money Allegations
Role of Donations And Stocks Probed

By Tim Craig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 28, 2006; Page B08

High gasoline prices and reports of record oil company profits sparked a barbed exchange yesterday between Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) and his Democratic opponent, James Webb.

After Exxon Mobil Corp. reported a record 36 percent increase in profits over this time last year, Webb called on Allen to return $800,000 in campaign contributions from oil and energy companies since 2000.

Webb said Allen has accepted the money, including $15,000 from Exxon Mobil's political action committee, while voting to approve tax breaks for oil companies.

"As gas prices soar out of control and Virginians struggle to make ends meet, George Felix Allen is giving fat tax breaks to Big Oil while they are making record profits," Webb spokeswoman Kristian Denny Todd said in a statement.
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/27/AR2006072701730.html?nav=rss_metro

[rodeodance]

1. I hope to see Allen go down!

[Gman]

2. That's a solid shot to Allen's jaw!

He's clearly very vulnerable on this issue and kudos to Webb for nailing Allen.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. In the meantime

we keep guzzling gas? Consumption has increased rather then decreased since the prices have gone up. As long as, people are still willing to pay higher prices, there is no reason for the oil companies not to take advantage of the situation.

Just remember, everytime you fill your tank, you are paying for schmucks like this to run for government.

[revolve]

4. You live in a city with good public transport

Don't you?

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. No

but I am try to cut back by combining trips and turning my car off when I'm waiting in a drive thru line and that sort of thing.

My husband and I also looked real seriously at hybrids and will probably switch one car to a Toyota Camry hybrid. Also in the next couple of years there are going to be big changes regards to diesel cars. I'd really like a diesel hybrid so I'm saving my pennies for when they come out.

[Strelnikov_]

6. So It Now Appears That The GOP Supports Communism

Allen's campaign manager, fired back by pointing out that Webb, a former Reagan administration official, owns stock in Exxon Mobil and Chevron Corp. Wadhams called Webb, a novelist who also has worked on movies in Hollywood, "a flaming hypocrite."

Apparently, the GOP feels that private individuals owning stock in a publicly traded company is is wrong.

This is the only way I can interpret the above statement, since I am sure that they fully understand the difference between a PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL owning an INSIGNIFICANT (as far as the company is concerned) amount of stock and a LAWMAKER accepting campaign contributions from said company.