Source: Bloomberg

Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow attacked the Republican Bush administration's energy policy and tax breaks for the oil industry, urging investment in alternative energy.

Gasoline prices have risen as high as $4 a gallon, from $1.50 when President George W. Bush took office, Stabenow said today. The rise in energy costs has gone from ``annoyance'' to ``crisis,'' affecting everything from the price of groceries to home-heating bills.

``Republicans want more drilling, more consumption, and more tax giveaways for the big oil companies,'' Stabenow, from Michigan, said in the Democratic Party's weekly radio address. ``Democrats say that those are exactly the policies that got us into this mess to begin with.''

A plan backed by Democrats, who hold a majority in the House and Senate, ``ends the billions of dollars in tax breaks for big oil companies whose executives have been hauling record profits while we pay record prices,'' Stabenow said.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...

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Senator Debbie Stabenow Delivers the Democratic Radio Address
"This fight won't be easy. The President and his oil buddies have gotten used to the spoils of plunder, and they won't give up without a fight. Democrats will fight just as hard - but we need your help. Call President Bush. Call your members of Congress. Tell them that you're fed up with record gas prices, and you want a plan that puts people first. A plan that puts people first is long overdue.
http://www.dnc.org/a/2008/05/senator_debbi...