Bee goes on offensive

State Sen. Tim Bee: Campaign photoState Senate President Tim Bee (R-Tucson), who is running to unseat freshman Democrat Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson) in the 8th Congressional District race, is going into attack mode for the first time in the campaign. His usual Sunday campaign update, the "Bee Buzz," was this week transmogrified into the "Bee Sting," with Giffords on the receiving end of the venom.

"As gasoline prices go over $4.00 a gallon," read the hit piece, "it’s time to remind our current member of Congress of campaign pledges made two years go [sic]. It’s also time to remind our Democratic representative that as the Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, her bad decisions are in part responsible for the escalating oil prices."

Energy has, to date, predominantly been the subject upon which Republicans have based their hits against Giffords and U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Tempe), who, like Giffords, was first elected last cycle. Over a dozen press releases from the National Republican Congressional Committee have aimed charges of incompetence or willful disregard of voters' well-being at Giffords and Mitchell over the last month on the issue of "pain at the pump." However, this latest attack comes from the Bee campaign itself - perhaps not coincidentally, about a week after the state legislative session adjourned.

Bee himself had something to say about press releases.

"Gasoline prices have gone up 72% since [Giffords accepted] the position. The response? Her congressional office has put out two press releases on gasoline prices. Sixteen press releases were about solar energy. Maybe our Democratic member of Congress has forgotten that Arizona cars run on gasoline and diesel, not solar energy."

The release stated that Giffords has "repeatedly voted to cripple our domestic energy production" by siding with congressional Democrats against motions by the Republican minority to "strike sections on offshore leasing and related activities that would have encouraged more oil and natural gas exploration" and "cuts to domestic energy production."

Also according to the "Bee Sting," gas might be almost free if not for votes in which Giffords participated:

"Giffords opposes drilling in ANWR and using America’s oil shale resources, which total up to 2 trillion barrels (Roll Call 577, 6/27/07; Roll Call 1171, 12/17/07). That would have saved Arizona drivers $0.70 - $1.60 a gallon.

Opposes offshore drilling (Roll Call 553, June 26, 2007). That would have saved Arizona drivers $0.90 - $2.50 a gallon."

"Giffords has chosen to focus on solar energy policy while ignoring the growing gasoline problem," the release concluded. "She voted for energy legislation that cut domestic oil supplies, even though she promised voters to help reduce American dependence on foreign oil. This is the mark of failed leadership."