Now that the 2nd quarter congressional campaign finance reports are in, word is spreading around pretty quickly that, when it comes to big dirty oil money, the Valero Energy Corporation is a big player in 2006. Valero, which you may know as the company that supplies Valero gas stations, gave more money to congressional candidates this year than most other oil companies - even more than Exxon Mobil, which is a pretty big political donor.

Now what kind of issues do you think that the Valero Energy Corporation Political Action Committee is interested in? Fair elections? A clean environment? Affordable energy for the little guy?

No, the Valero Energy Corporation Political Action Committee is committed to keeping America trapped with the same old dirty, wasteful, expensive and corrupt fossil fuel infrastructure that we’ve been living with for generations now. They’re working against the interests of the American people.

And wouldn’t you know it, the Republicans are helping Valero do it. Why? Well it isn’t because of high-minded principles. No, it’s because the Republicans are getting paid off by Valero. Of the political donations that Valero has made to congressional candidates this year, 89 percent have gone to Republicans, and only 11 percent have gone to Democrats.

So, you think there isn’t a big difference between Republicans and Democrats? Well here it is: Valero is paying off Republican members of Congress left and right, but only a few Democrats have taken Valero’s dirty oil money.

You know where that money that’s flowing to the Republican members of Congress came from, don’t you? It came from the super-high profits that came from the super-high prices for gasoline we’ve been paying for the last year. That’s dirty money the Republicans are taking.

So, are you going to help Valero pay off Republican members of Congress? Are you going to buy their gas, eat their doughnuts, drink their coffee?

Buy blue in 2006. Don’t buy jack from Valero gas stations.