What do Democrats Ed Perlmutter, Joe Miklosi, Sal Pace and President Barack Obama have in common with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?

According to their political opponents, all are cohorts in opposition to America’s energy independence, and as a result they are now appearing together on 28 billboards in the Denver metro area and Grand Junction. The billboards include the slogan, “Higher gas prices, yes! U.S. Energy Independence, no!”

The billboards are the creation of the right-leaning group Compass Colorado, which says the advertising effort is meant to highlight “President Barack Obama and his allies’ opposition to American energy independence.”

Politics aside, the ads have some upset that anyone would compare the president and state and federal leaders to Ahmadinejad.

“It is outrageous to link Ahmadinejad, who supports genocide and terrorism, with Obama, Perlmutter, Pace and Miklosi, as well as many Republicans, who back the President’s policy of stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons,” said Chad Asarch, former chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Colorado.

Miklosi, who is challenging Republican Rep. Mike Coffman in the 6th Congressional District, is featured on some of the billboards, while on others, his face is interchanged with that of Pace and Perlmutter, who are vying for seats in the 3rd and 7th districts, respectively.

“By opposing the Keystone Pipeline and domestic drilling, Obama and Perlmutter directly contributed to higher gas prices across the country,” said Compass Colorado president Tyler Houlton. In a news release, Houlton said Miklosi and Pace have long records supporting onerous regulations on the oil and gas industry.

“It’s no surprise that Coffman and shady special interests are already letting loose with this kind of unhinged rhetoric,” said Miklosi’s campaign manager, Joe Hamill. “After all, everyone knows that Mike Coffman does exactly what Big Oil and the other special interests want.”