Rick Weiland Takes Impressive Stand

We live in a world where standing on principle is a liability in the political world.  If an elected official strays from the party line, he or she must reap the consequences.

U. S. Senate candidate Rick Weiland has made his mantra about taking on the big money in Washington, D.C.  He bolsters that stand by taking aim at President Obama and Big Oil over cutting ethanol use.  The petroleum sector is certainly considered big game, but going after a fellow Democrat takes some intestinal fortitude.

In a press release, Weiland urges the Obama Administration to not cut ethanol use and alleges that Democrats are yielding to the influence of the almighty dollar.  In doing so, Weiland points out the big money stigma attached to both parties.

"If you ever thought big money special interests control only the Republican Party, this is the proof that you are wrong.  Big oil has been trying to gut the renewable fuels industry for years.  They have poured millions of the dollars they steal from us at the pump into high priced lobbying and huge political contributions.  Now, it appears the EPA will soon cave into pressure from oil companies and propose a cut in ethanol use next year of around 1.4 billion gallons.  They will pretend it's needed to give oil companies more time to adjust to higher ethanol blends like E15, but that's hogwash.  This is Big Oil’s payoff."

"At $3.50 a gallon for the 1.4 billion gallons of polluting oil they will be able to sell when that much renewable fuel is removed from the market, that will be a 4.9 billion dollar payoff handed to them on a platter by my Democratic Party.  It's shameful.  Anyone, Democrat or Republican, who says it isn’t, isn’t telling the whole truth."

There couldn't be a more perfect example of how big money spends millions to buy your government, then gets back billions from the decisions its government makes.  They call that investment.  I call it ‘quid pro quo’ and I am running for the United States Senate to put an end to it!”

Those words will not earn Mr. Weiland any friends in high places, but his goal is to get elected to the open South Dakota Senate seat.  He will need help from somewhere beyond the scope of power and influence to accomplish this mission.