This is how we should be attacking republicans for their hypocrisy

[claypool4prez]

Candidate for U.S. Congress calls out opponent, for using high gas prices as an issue, while making money off of the prices. This is priceless, and something other challengers should be doing:

www.roycarterforcongress.com

Roy Carter (NC-05) Calls upon his opponent to Stop Profiting from High Gas Prices

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina –


In recent months, gas prices have risen to all time highs and Virginia Foxx, North Carolina’s 5th district representative in the U.S. House, has gone on the defensive, placing the blame squarely on others for this looming crisis. As gas prices reached more than $4.00 per gallon in some areas this past Memorial Day weekend, Foxx is directly profiting from the pain that Americans feel at the pump.

According to personal financial disclosure records, Foxx has owned between $15,001 and $50,000 of stock in Chevron Corporation since 2004. While Americans struggle to meet their expenses in the face of runaway gas prices, Foxx stands to take part in Chevron’s windfall profits. Already a multi-millionaire (her 2006 disclosure lists her total net worth between $2.9 and $9.6 million); Roy Carter believes that his opponent should review her contradictory stance on gas prices in the face of her quest for personal wealth.

“Under normal circumstances, investing in an oil company is a person’s prerogative” said Roy Carter, Democratic candidate for the 5th District seat. “But when an elected official directly profits from the oil industry and then gets on her soapbox to protest against the unfairness of high gas prices, it just rings untrue and is remarkably hypocritical. Until she sells her shares in Chevron, I don’t think anyone should take my opponent seriously.”

In addition to personal gain from high gas prices, Foxx’s campaign has benefited from the oil, pharmaceutical, and health insurance industries. According the Federal Election Commission, since she began running for US Congress in 2004, Foxx has accepted over $200,000 from these three industries in PAC money alone, including funds from the Petroleum Marketers Association of America and Exxon Mobil.

“While gas prices rise, cost of prescription drugs climb, and health insurance remains unaffordable, my opponent continues to show her unending support for the Bush administration and the companies that profit off of the backs of hard working North Carolinians.” said Carter. “I call upon my opponent to join my pledge not to accept money from big oil, pharmaceutical, or health insurance companies. I further demand that she sell her stock in Chevron and give back every dime that she has accepted from those corporations. Congress is elected to represent the people, not big oil. Accepting this kind of PAC money is a betrayal to the hard working people of the fifth district. My opponent has demonstrated by her voice, vote, investments and associations that she stands for big oil and record profits at the expense of everyday Americans. I do not. We won’t see real change in our gas prices until we invest in alternative energies and get the oil folks out of Washington.”

[DangerDave921]

1. OK

And will you condemn John Edwards for his wealth? Or Hillary and Bill's? They all come across as hypocritical when they talk about the common man and the working class while they live in the top 1/10 of 1% of the country.

Look, people have a right to invest their money.

[gratuitous]

4. Hanh?

I've not seen anywhere where John Edwards or the Clintons have claimed that accumulated wealth, in and of itself, is bad and that poor folks are hurt when someone else becomes financially successful. What Rep. Foxx is doing is decrying high gas prices while being the stockholding beneficiary of those same high gas prices.

There's a difference.

[DangerDave921]

5. Investing

By its very definiton, investing means you make money when the companies do well, i.e., can charge a lot of their products. I would imagine that the Clintons and Edwards have also invested in oil at some point (or mutual funds that buy oil stocks). Can I verify that? Of course not. But it's hard for me to believe that they all got their riches without investing in any company that does bad shit.

[cynatnite]

6. Politicians have a right to invest their money and the public has a right to know about it...

We want to know where their money is coming from and we want to know if it's influencing them. The correlation between the two should be publicized and we have the right to judge it as we see fit.

[ms liberty]

I'm in the 5th district, and I have one of his bumperstickers on my car...

I absolutely despise Virginia Foxx. Thanks for posting this - you should cross post this in the North Carolina forum. Welcome to DU!

[ms liberty]

2. Oops. Dupe, self deleting. n/t

[claypool4prez]

3. Yeah

But when someone USES high gas prices as reason to vote for them, as Foxx is doing, while making profits off of them, she should stop one or the other.