Bee ad says 'S. Arizonans are victims'

The race: The 8th Congressional District, where Bee, president of the state Senate, is challenging Democratic incumbent Gabrielle Giffords.

The medium: Radio.

The message: "Despite record gas prices, Congresswoman Giffords cast the deciding vote to adjourn Congress for an August vacation," Bee says in the radio piece. "She opposed domestic drilling and attacks oil companies for record profits despite her personal investments in oil," he says.

"I'll work to expand our domestic oil supply and promote wind and solar alternatives," Bee says.

The intent: To frame Giffords as opposing new energy development and technologies while promoting Bee as a champion of both drilling and alternative energies.

Fact check:

● "Giffords cast the deciding vote to adjourn Congress":

Giffords did, in fact, vote for Congress to adjourn for five weeks. The vote was 213-212. Republicans have since framed many of those 213 members as the "deciding vote" in attack pieces. It's impossible to know the order of the votes; given the one-vote margin, however, any vote change would have changed the outcome.

● "She opposed domestic drilling":

Giffords does oppose opening new areas for drilling. But, at the same time, she has stressed a frequent Democratic talking point: That she wants more drilling in areas with existing leases. She even co-sponsored the so-called "Use It or Lose It" bill, which would require oil and gas companies to start drilling on areas within the 68 million acres of federal onshore and offshore lands that are part of non-producing leases as of fiscal year 2007.

But on this point, there are questions about whether that assertion by Giffords and other Democrats is complete. The Bureau of Land Management says those leased lands don't necessarily contain productive drilling operations and there is a lot of activity occurring on leased lands that does not qualify as "production," partly because of regulatory hurdles.

● Bee says "Southern Arizonans are victims of a Congress that has failed to pass an energy policy to lower gas prices":

While that may be correct, Bee's calls to increase domestic oil drilling would not reduce prices for about two decades, according to a report by the federal government. In 2007, the Energy Information Administration estimated that such production "would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030."

● Giffords "attacks oil companies for record profits despite her personal investments in oil":

Giffords does own stock in Conoco Phillips, according to her financial-disclosure form. The value of the stock is valued somewhere in the range of $1,001 to $15,000, according to the disclosure. Bee does not have such holdings, records show.

● "I'll work to expand our domestic oil supply and promote wind and solar alternatives":

Bee's ad incorrectly leaves the impression Giffords isn't in favor of wind and solar alternatives. She is. Bee says he supports an extension of the solar tax credit — a provision that Giffords has actually sponsored but which failed to go beyond the U.S. House.

Bee also says he wants more money for research and development of alternative energies. Again, this is an area where the candidates appear to agree. Giffords was one of 198 House members to co-sponsor legislation that creates a research and development program into solar power. That legislation has been signed into law.