Congressional candidate Susan Bitter Smith: Campaign photo5th Congressional District Republican candidate Susan Bitter Smith continues to blast away at her would-be rival, U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Tempe) over his performance in Congress on energy issues, and his association with other Democrats.

The Bitter Smith campaign issued an attack against Mitchell Monday, claiming Mitchell supports a "failed policy" to curb high fuel prices.

"A few short days after Democrats like liberal Harry Mitchell passed on a key opportunity to help forge an American energy policy that would lower gas prices," read a release from the Bitter Smith campaign, "Arizona Democrats invited one of the architects of this failed policy to our state. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill, a classic Chicago pol and the Democratic Caucus Chair made an appearance in the Valley this weekend to raise money from Arizonan’s [sic] while perpetuating what Mitchell called 'one of the most costly hidden taxes on the American people,' just two years ago."

The statement was referring to the Arizona Heritage Dinner held Sunday, during which Rep. Emanuel helped raise over $600,000 for the Arizona Democratic Party.

"Mitchell continues to support the Democratic Leadership in preventing amendments from being offered on energy legislation," continued the release. "This prevents even the discussion on the House floor for such common sense objectives as drilling in coastal waters and in ANWR."

Bitter Smith, like her fellow candidates in the primary race, as well as state and national Republicans, is focusing on energy as the issue they hope will most resonate with 5th district voters.

This latest criticism echoes that offered by Bitter Smith on July 17, when she said Mitchell "passed on a key opportunity to help forge an American energy policy that would lower gas prices by increasing exploration" after congressional Republicans were rebuffed in their efforts to attach amendments to pending legislation that would have opened up more U.S. land to drilling.

That same day, Mitchell voted to "encourage" oil companies to make use of Alaskan land already available to drilling by voting for the Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands (DRILL) Act. The bill was defeated by a 244-173 vote.

Mitchell has long favored the "use it or lose it" approach to increasing domestic oil production, which would force energy exploration companies to take advantage of the estimated 68 million acres of U.S. land for which they already hold leases.

"As I’ve said before, in addition to investing in long-term solutions such as solar energy, we have to increase our domestic natural gas and oil production,” Mitchell said in a statement regarding the DRILL Act vote.

Bitter Smith, though, doesn't think that sort of legislation goes far enough.

"It's a cursory solution," Bitter Smith told PolitickerAZ.com, saying far more oil is to be had in five locations not currently leased to oil companies, of which the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) is the "most promising."

"There are two very different philosophies here," said Bitter Smith.