Minneapolis Star-Tribune: New TV ad scolds Coleman for taking oil industry funds

Giggling with delight; that's how I'd describe the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's blurb about incumbent Minnesota Republican Senator Norm Coleman for taking campaign contributions from oil companies.

According to the Star-Tribune, "A Democratic-leaning organization on Thursday unveiled a television advertisement criticizing Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman for campaign contributions he has received from oil industry interests."

The perception I see is that because "Big Oil" is evil, as vehemently portrayed by the Mainstream Media, this will negatively affect the Coleman campaign against Democratic challenger Al Franken, among others.

The Star-Tribune states, "It challenges Coleman for voting to grant oil and gas companies billions of dollars in tax breaks and says he has accepted $210,000 in campaign contributions from oil company interests.

"Minnesotans are paying more for gas than ever while big oil companies are making billions," the ad charges."

Hardly true...big oil is already the most heavily taxed and regulated industry in the country. You've probably heard your liberal co-workers, colleagues, and friends clamor about either levying price controls against oil companies or taxing them further. Sorry to say, that in a free market society, those sorts of measures do not work.

The reason why "Big Oil" is reporting such profits is that in a free market society, supply/demand sets prices. Oil exporters such as Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Venezuela, for example cannot pump more oil, or face political crises that often impact production. Furthermore, if our Democratically-controlled legislature would ever enact price control measures, oil companies would more than likely laugh in our face and sell their wares to China and India, where demand is astronomical.

Regardless, Coleman has to decide where he stands here; this country is not configured at this point, and with the current state of the economy, to implement alternative energy sources. Cheap fuel could potentially be a shot in the arm for our economy. Unfortunately, big oil is portrayed as an evil, thanks to the liberal mainstream media and the environmentalist movement. Yet, he talks about supporting the Lieberman/Warner cap and trade legislation.

But at some point, especially in the face of a potential economic catastrophe in this country, the good people of this country are going to DEMAND cheap fuel. At some point, it's time to drill in Alaska and offshore, while building additional oil refineries.

I don't see this ad as a detriment; Coleman needs to embrace the idea of expanding our drilling and building aforementioned refineries. Moreover, it's time to hit back against the global warming proponents.