Derrick Jackson of the Boston Globe marvels at the irony of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama attacking oil and gas companies for skyrocketing prices while taking thousands in campaign contributions from these same companies. Campaign cash from the oil industry keeps presidential and congressional campaigns alike churning -- it's no wonder debate about their policies seems so conflicted.

Good news drivers of the world! That small fortune you've been handing over every time you buy a tank of gas has reached those most in need: Big Oil. Exxon reports a record $10.7 billion profit this quarter, beating their previous third-quarter record by nearly a billion. Guess they'll have even more cash on hand to pour into campaign coffers this year on top of the $400,000+ they've already given.*

You think you have trouble getting Congress to pay attention to your problems? Try being a polar bear. Yeah, polar bears are cute and if a bear has the good fortune to be born in a Berlin zoo lots of teenage girls will line up to take his picture and purchase t-shirts bearing his likeness but for the average bear hunting seals in Alaska, the outlook is grim. And his congressional representation isn’t helping.