Posted on 04/18/2006 6:47:31 AM PDT by thackney
Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl discounted Democratic and other efforts to put more scrutiny on oil companies and said the key to reducing high gasoline prices is increased drilling and increased use of nuclear and cleaner-burning coal energy.
Kyl also blamed federal ethanol mandates for contributing to recent increases in fuel prices.
Those energy stances differ greatly from Democratic real estate developer Jim Pederson, who is looking to unseat Kyl in November.
Pederson supports federal anti-price-gouging laws to restrict price spikes, greater antitrust scrutiny of the energy industry and increasing fuel efficiency standards and alternative fuel requirements.
"Jon Kyl has had 20 years' worth of opportunities in Washington to do something about the high cost of gas and our dependence on foreign oil," said Pederson spokesman Kevin Griffis.
Kyl said the oil industry is already under scrutiny to make sure it is obeying antitrust laws. He said high global demand, including from China and India, along with some federal energy and environmental mandates are driving prices up.
The Arizona Republican supports oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as well as more offshore drilling. Pederson opposes ANWR drilling and Democrats are more than happy to point to the Bush administration's and the GOP's links to big oil.
Gas prices have shot up greatly in recent weeks and are approaching the $3 per gallon mark in Phoenix and other markets.
The price spikes are blamed on high demand and international tensions in oil-producing countries such as Iran, Iraq and Nigeria. High gasoline prices could drag down consumer confidence and big oil companies are under major scrutiny for record profits and executive compensation.
At the state level, Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Terry Goddard favor state anti-price-gouging rules but the idea has gone nowhere in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
One Arizona Republican, Congressman Rick Renzi, is highly critical of the energy industry and high gasoline prices. Renzi wants federal inquiries into recent price jumps and a controversial $400 million retirement package slated for Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) Chairman Lee Raymond.
Pederson is a leading shopping center developer in Phoenix and Tucson and is the former chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party. Kyl is seeking his third term in the U.S. Senate.
Drill ANWR and elect those that support it.
no kidding. set a peg and do daily lease auctions of arctic and offshore open to INDEPENDENT DRILLERS and keep at it until market forces and speculators ease the price back below the peg. If the price collapses, subsidize the independents until prices firm up.
Every time you run to the gas station to fill up your tank you're paying a tax to Islam. The current administration has really let us down in this regard. As a matter of national security we should be fighting back in this economic war. The mullahs, Chavez and Putin get richer the more the world worries. So naturally they are cool with pissing everyone off. It lines their pockets with revenue.
Uh no, it 99% of the democrats and a few RINO's in the Senate who have let us all down, but you already knew that, but conviently left that out.
His stance on this could very well get Kyl dis-elected. When we hear that we have a glut of oil and the price keeps going up, it's only human to want to punish the oil companies for their excessive profits.
Not this human. Excessive profits are wonderful!
I will admit this current admin has done nothing. But every other admin before Bush 2 had not done much in reducing our dependence of foreign oil. Even my beloved Reagan. Our congress has not done anything either. Nor do they give a shit.
The culture of "no-drill Democrat Gas" = 3 bucks a gallon
April 04, 2006 AZ: Rasmussen shows big Kyl lead If anybody considered Arizona a pickup opportunity, scratch it off the list.
Says Rasmussen:
Sen. Jon Kyl (R) - 56% Former State Party Chair Jim Pederson (D) - 33% Pederson's money isn't making this one any more competitive. And with John McCain promising to help out Kyl, you can basically call this one early. Kyl is getting 91% of Republicans, while Pederson only manages 68% of Democrats. Kyl's name recognition is 94%, with 64% having a favorable opinion and 30% unfavorable. Pederson's name recognition is 76% and is split, 38% favorable, 38% unfavorable.
El Wrongo. It is the environmentalists and the Democrats that are against drilling, nuke plants and windfarms (for example, ask The Swimmer and Lurch why the won't let windfarms be built in their state). Some need to do their homework.
great! none of these technologies run in your car. That's the issue - gasoline.
In other words, he's pro-gas-lines.
The WH wants more drilling. The Left do not.
no problem. take the issue to the people. either we relax the environmental laws or re-institute selective service. Because the path we are on will require military sacrifice to stave off eventually economic ruin.
Didn't we just pass a big expensive energy bill?
Rome is smoking (figuratively) and the Politicians continue to fiddle.
Sooner or later someone needs to make a principled stand, write an executive order and bypass all of this BS in the House and Senate.
Then the pols can deal with the exec order later.
Ah, remember the days when I could fill up that 340 challenger for a few bucks at 18.9/gal. Life was better back then, vietnam, no internet, and all.
You may want to post that to the Florida State Board.
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