Campaigns use gas prices to gain support

POLITICAL RACE IGNITES AS GAS PRICES CREEP HIGHER AND HIGHER - TODAY A HANDFUL OF GAS STATIONS BECAME THE SITES OF POLITICAL RALLIES FOR SUPPORTERS OF EITHER STEVE PEARCE OR TOM UDALL STUART DYSON IS LIVE AT THE PUMPS AT I-40 AND RIO GRANDE POLITICS AT THE PUMP AS PARTIES PROTEST PRICES - IT S PEARCE VERSUS UDALL FOR U S SENATE - EACH GUY ACCUSING THE OTHER OF DROPPING THE BALL ON OIL PRICES OUT Q TOM UDALL THE DEMOCRATS STARTED IT - RALLYING AT THREE ALBUQUERQUE FILLING STATIONS AND ONE EACH IN CLOVIS AND LAS CRUCES - ACCUSING REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN STEVE PEARCE OF BEING A STOOGE FOR BIG OIL - HE DID MAKE A FORTUNE IN THE HOBBS OIL PATCH Right now New Mexicans can t afford it - while oil companies are just getting richer - people like Steve Pearce aren t looking out for the interests of people that they re supposed to represent STEVE PEARCE BUT REPUBLICANS CRASHED THE DEMOCRATS PUMP- PARTY NEAR UNM - POINTING OUT UDALL S SUPPORT FROM ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS - AND HIS LONG RECORD OPPOSING OFFSHORE AND ARCTIC OIL DRILLING And the people of America support that and that s why Congressman Pearce supports that - because he understands exactly what they understand - which is the way to lower gas prices in this country is to increase our supply and increase our supply of domestic energy - that way we re not relying on foreign sources IN THE END - A KIND OF MIXED MESSAGE - FOR DRIVERS BLASTING ALONG ON CENTRAL AVENUE - AND ONE SIGN STANDING TALL OVER IT ALL - FOUR BUCKS A GALLON ON THE WAY NEW MEXICO S STATEWIDE AVERAGE GAS PRICE POPPED UP ANOTHER PAINFUL PENNY TODAY - THREE NINETY NINE A GALLON - WITH ALBUQUERQUE ABOUT A DIME CHEAPER AND MANY PLACES OVER FOUR BUCKS AT I-40 AND RIO GRANDE STUART DYSON EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR TRIPLE-A SAYS