Dole Had Chance To Side with Families, Provide Immediate Relief at Pump, Instead Sides with Special Interests, Wall Street

July 25, 2008

GREENSBORO, NC- Elizabeth Dole today voted against working families in North Carolina and for the special interests and Wall Street speculators, who are driving the price of gas up toward $4.10 per gallon. Four times in the past month, Elizabeth Dole has called for an end to speculation and artificially inflated gas prices. However, when actually faced with the choice between helping working families experience immediate relief at the pump or helping the special interests who fund her campaign, Dole chose the latter.

The bill Dole voted against would have curbed excessive speculation in the energy markets, thereby lowering gas prices and helping bring relief to families in North Carolina struggling to make ends meet.

“Elizabeth Dole, for the countless time, has chosen the wealthy special interests over North Carolinians struggling to pay upward of $4.10 per gallon for gas,” said Colleen Flanagan, Communications Director for the Hagan Campaign. “Her ‘kitchen sink’ strategy clearly doesn’t apply to her friends on Wall Street who are reaping record profits while North Carolinians are struggling to make ends meet. When push comes to shove, and there’s an actual vote Dole needs to cast, she’s with the special interests and against the people who elected her.”

July 23: Dole Agreed With The Bill To Rein In Energy Market Speculation. Dole said, on the floor of the U.S. Senate, “As we know, the Senate is currently considering a bill to rein in energy market speculation, and I agree that additional enforcement and transparency can help better manage these commodities that are critical to our economic and national security.” [Dole Senate Floor Speech, 7/23/08]

July 23: Dole: “Important to protect consumers from illegal market manipulation and corporate corruption.” In an op-ed in the Asheville Citizen Times, Dole wrote, “It is also important to protect consumers from illegal market manipulation and corporate corruption. That’s why I am calling for an Oil and Gas Market Fraud Task Force to police speculators and ensure that energy markets are functioning properly.” [Asheville Citizen-Times, 7/23/08]

July 20: Dole: “Important To Protect Consumers From Illegal Market Manipulation.” In an op-ed in the Daily Reflector, Dole wrote, “It is also important to protect consumers from illegal market manipulation and corporate corruption.” [Greenville Daily Reflector, 7/20/08]

June 21: Dole Economic Plan: “Create An Oil And Gas Market Fraud Task Force.” Dole’s economic security plan, which she released on June 21, included creating “an Oil and Gas Market Fraud Task Force” in order to “declare war on high gas prices.” [Dole Press Release, 6/21/08]

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