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Mississippi Senate Candidates Battle Over Gas Prices
Former Gov. Musgrove Blasts Sen. Wicker For Vote Against Energy Speculation Bill
In a political tug of war over legislation to lower gas prices, former Mississippi Governor and U.S. Senate Candidate Ronnie Musgrove (D) is blasting U.S. Senate Candidate and current Senator Roger Wicker (R) for voting against the "Stop Excessive Energy Speculation Act of 2008," a bill that would have cracked down on Wall Street oil speculators who influence the gas prices.
"Wall Street speculators are driving up the cost of a barrel oil," said Musgrove Monday during a news conference at a gas station in Ridgeland.
Wicker, along with 42 other U.S. Senators (all Republicans except one Democrat), voted against the procedural bill Friday. Fifty senators voted for the bill (47 Democrats, two Republicans and one Independent), but the legislation needed at least 60 affirmative votes to move forward.
According to Wicker's campaign spokesman Ryan Annison, Wicker opposed the bill because it did not include any provisions for expanding the country's offshore drilling options, which would decrease the U.S.'s dependency on foreign oil over time.
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