Everyone is aware that the price of gasoline has risen sharply over the last 4 years during the Bush Administration. The oil and gas industry has spent a boat load of money on lobbying politicians over that same time period. The result is $4 per gallon of gasoline and no consensus on energy in America other than continued reliance on foreign oil. Indeed, rather than the Bush Administration or Congress, Texas oil man T. Boone Pickens is now leading the charge on alternative energy in America.
To no surprise to anyone, along with increased prices at the pump, the money spent on lobbying by the oil and gas industry has also risen sharply since 2004. As the old saying goes, money buys access and influence. The oil and gas industry has handed out more than $182 million in financial contributions to political candidates and parties since the 1990 election cycle. About 75 percent of which has gone to Republican candidates. For example, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell received almost $200,000 during 2008 from the oil and gas industry according to http://www.opensecrets.org/.
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