Political Quotes

“I am aware of it, and I feel sorry for the people who run these gas stations. One can imagine what their customers say when they come to the counter. They are outraged over the increase in gasoline prices, angry over this situation and the impact it is going to have on their lives. And, of course, they try to take it out on the first person they see, and that happens to be an innocent bystander, the person running the gasoline station. What troubles me as well, instead of moving toward energy independence, we have resistance for putting in place facilities so that alternative fuels can be used by consumers across America. Senator Obama of Illinois, my colleague, has introduced legislation to put E-85--that means it is a fuel you can use in your car that is 85 percent alcohol fuel, 85 percent ethanol, cheaper now than a gallon of petroleum-based gasoline. The oil companies have been very slow to put those facilities in the gas stations even across Illinois, the largest producer of ethanol in the Nation. What Senator Obama has pushed for--and I agree--is that we need to have the oil companies opening up opportunities so that consumers can at least fight back. If you have a car or a truck that can burn this environmentally friendly and energy-efficient ethanol, then you ought to have an option to fill your tank that way. Sadly, they don't. The oil companies have been very slow and dragging their feet in giving consumers that option. Why?…”