GRAHAM, N.C., April 28, 2008

Clinton Criticizes Obama Over Gas Tax Plan

Knocks Obama's Opposition To Summer "Gas Tax Holiday," Which She And McCain Support

  • Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaks at a campaign event at the Graham Fire Dept. in Graham, N.C., Monday, April 28, 2008.

    Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaks at a campaign event at the Graham Fire Dept. in Graham, N.C., Monday, April 28, 2008.  (AP)

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(AP)  Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday criticized Barack Obama for opposing the concept of suspending the gas tax during the peak summer driving months, a plan both she and Republican John McCain have endorsed.

The idea to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day was first proposed by McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, as a way to ease the economic burden for consumers during the summer.

Obama does not support the "gas tax holiday" and has said the average motorist would not benefit significantly from such a suspension; by some estimates, the federal government would lose about $10 billion in revenue.

"My opponent, Senator Obama, opposes giving consumers a break," Clinton said, campaigning in North Carolina. "I understand the American people need some relief."

Clinton said she would make up the difference in revenue by imposing a "windfall profits tax" on oil companies.

"If we suspended it and made up the lost revenues, that's the best of both worlds," she said.

Clinton commented at a firehouse in Graham, where she was urging North Carolinians to take advantage of the state's early voting, which opened more than a week ago ahead of the May 6 primary.

She and Obama have been pushing their supporters to go to the polls early here and Indiana, which also votes May 6. Obama is favored in North Carolina while the two are competing closely in Indiana.

Besides her push for early voting, Clinton was to spend part of the day raising money. She and daughter Chelsea were to appear at a closed-door fundraiser in Greensboro, with two more fundraisers scheduled later in Charlotte.

Obama also planned campaign appearances in the state, with events in Wilmington, Wilson and Chapel Hill.

©MMVIII, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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by liar-clinton April 30, 2008 11:47 AM EDT
Consider the economics folks. (not clinton pandering, lies and BS). Lessening the tax could INCREASE demand making it MORE expensive because demand will outstrip current supply. China manufacturing, Chinese (and Indian) government and oil speculators are buying oil and oil products like no tomorrow. We are still buying manufactured finished good from China like no tomorrow - and the manufacturers buy and consume oil to produce the cheap goods we buy like no tomorrow). What about human rights ?

Bush is still buying and putting away oil into storage. Supply and demand folks.
Reply to this comment
by pepperwood2 April 30, 2008 2:57 AM EDT
In the landmark civil fraud case against Bill Clinton in Los Angeles, where the former President is charged with defrauding a Hollywood dot com millionaire to help Hillary Clinton obtain more than $1.2 million from him for her 2000 Senate campaign, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aurelio Munoz ruled on Friday, April 25 that Hillary Clinton would not be required to testify in a sworn deposition as a material witness in the case until AFTER the November election!

While Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Al Gore, Ed Rendell, Barbara Streisand, Cher, Stan Lee, Brad Pitt, Mike Wallace, Larry King et al may be called to testify and be deposed starting in May, Hillary alone has been protected from explaining her role in her husband%u2019s fraud charges.

In an astonishing ruling by the Judge, Hillary Clinton may NOT be deposed about her role in the illegal solicitation and cover up of the largest contribution made to her Senate campaign until after the presidential election.

This is the same contribution Hillary denied knowing about or receiving when Lloyd Grove of the Washington Post asked her specifically about it and her relationship with the donor, Peter Paul, in August 2000.

Equally surprising as the ruling was the judge%u2019s request to Hillary defense lawyer David Kendall to %u201Csay hello to his ( Judge Munoz%u201D) friend Bill, also a partner in Kendall%u2019s law firm%u201D

Reply to this comment
by firststate April 30, 2008 2:03 AM EDT
libra127
Isn''t Hillary''s plan for a windfall profits tax on oil companies a lot like Obama''s? I''m not trying to be argumentative, but when she first joined McCain in calling for the tax holiday I didn''t hear her say anything about replacing the lost revenue.
Reply to this comment
by libra127 April 30, 2008 1:40 AM EDT
Any suspension of the gas tax that doesn''t replace the money in the trust fund will cause more problems than it solves.

Posted by firststate at 08:15 PM : Apr 29, 2008

Hillary has a plan to replace it. John McCain does not.
Reply to this comment
by firststate April 29, 2008 11:15 PM EDT
The hundreds of thousands of highway construction workers who would lose their jobs as the result of a gas tax holiday might join Obama in opposing it. Taking away that tax money from highway construction and maintenance would be a jolt to an economy that doesn''t need it. The bridge collapse in Minnesota and the recent closure of I-95 in Philadelphia for emergency repairs of support columns with large and growing cracks prove that the highway trust fund needs more money, not less. Any suspension of the gas tax that doesn''t replace the money in the trust fund will cause more problems than it solves.

Maybe Clinton & McCain think that if the highway construction workers don''t need gas to drive to work, gas prices would drop due to the decreased demand.
Reply to this comment
by kansas1946 April 29, 2008 9:56 PM EDT
At least Obama is smart enough to recognize the McCain/Clinton gas give away for what it is. Nothing but an outrageously transparent grab for votes that will do nothing to solve the problem, only aggravate it.
Reply to this comment
by libra127 April 29, 2008 6:48 PM EDT
If she wants to be a good socialist, why not just nationalize them...

Posted by LibH8er at 02:21 PM : Apr 29, 2008

Uh....because she''s not a socialist. Duh.
Reply to this comment
by liar-clinton April 29, 2008 6:02 PM EDT
Obama gets big Kentucky endorsement

LOUISVILLE, Ky. | Kentucky bigwig Ben Chandler, a new U.S. rep and grandson of a former governor, will endorse Barack Obama today, Obama%u2019s state campaign director said.
Reply to this comment
by boatdocster April 29, 2008 5:36 PM EDT
Libs are the reason we''''re paying high energy prices. Hillary criticizing Barry Obama is like a tiger eating its young - Posted by LibH8er at 02:19 PM : Apr 29, 2008

Gas prices when BUSH and his REPUB buddies took office, circa March 2000 - $1.54 per gallon nationwide.

Gas prices after BUSH and his REPUB buddies had control for almost 7 years - $3.60 per gallon, Diesel at 4.50 per gallon, more than double and likely to go higher.

Only Bush could blame his failures on the other party and believe it.
Reply to this comment
by libh8er April 29, 2008 5:21 PM EDT
This is not part of McCain''''''''s plan, only hers.
Posted by libra127 at 12:41 PM : Apr 29, 2008

She''s like a little Yugo Chavez in a pant suit. If she wants to be a good socialist, why not just nationalize them....then she can take everything.
Reply to this comment
by libh8er April 29, 2008 5:19 PM EDT
Libs are the reason we''re paying high energy prices. Hillary critcizing Barry Obama is like a tiger eating its young.
Reply to this comment
by boatdocster April 29, 2008 5:11 PM EDT
If you''''d read the article you''''re commenting on, you''''d know the answer. She would reinstate the windfall profits tax on oil companies that was ended by Reagan in 1988. This is not part of McCain''''s plan, only hers.

Posted by libra127 at 12:41 PM : Apr 29, 2008

Libra127

That''s IF SHE CAN REINSTATE, not that she would. Unless I''m mistaken that has to be passed by Congress; so will run up 10 BILLION more in debt now for the POSSIBLE PROMISE of fixing it in the future.
Reply to this comment
by boatdocster April 29, 2008 5:09 PM EDT
Hillary

All she can do is criticize. We can not afford to lose that revenue, yet she bashes Obama for trying to fix our growing financial woes.

Of course, she runs campaign in the Red all the time; she is used to throwing other peoples money and expect her to continue to do so with our tax dollars.

We can not afford the same type of failed Washington leadership that Hillary represents. Our country is going broke, and she and McCain want to add another 10 BILLION in debt, a quick summer time "FIX" (but it''s not really a fix at all) for a few votes ?!?!?

NO THANK YOU
Reply to this comment
by libra127 April 29, 2008 3:41 PM EDT
WHERE is she going to make up revenues, what tax is she going to raise?

Posted by dawg_pound at 12:20 PM : Apr 29, 2008

If you''d read the article you''re commenting on, you''d know the answer. She would reinstate the windfall profits tax on oil companies that was ended by Reagan in 1988. This is not part of McCain''s plan, only hers.
Reply to this comment
by jack3213 April 29, 2008 3:22 PM EDT
TWO "DUMMI-CRATS" WITH TOO MUCH BAGGAGE -NO AMOUNT OF DENIAL WILL ERASE -COME ELECTION TIME. TOO LITTLE -TOO LATE.- MCCAIN 2008
Reply to this comment
by libra127 April 29, 2008 2:45 PM EDT
But where do you think the oil companies are going to go to make up the lost for Clinton''s profit tax?

Posted by ddwj1953 at 10:54 AM : Apr 29, 2008

The re-instatement of a windfall profits tax provides an incentive for the oil companies to NOT raise gas prices sharply because the higher tax only kicks in if they do.
Reply to this comment
by libra127 April 29, 2008 2:42 PM EDT
Is Hillary Clinton closet homophobe or is it more likely that Hillary Clinton is attempting to look tough to cover up her own lesbian relationship with her aide, Huma Abedin?

Posted by makeitso928 at 10:45 AM : Apr 29, 2008

Hillary Clinton is neither a lesbian nor a homophobe. Stop making things up !
Reply to this comment
by libra127 April 29, 2008 2:41 PM EDT
North Carolina Governor Mike Easley today described the Democratic presidential candidate as so tough that she "makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy."
Hillary Clinton needs to explain why she endorses such divisive language in her campaign.

Posted by makeitso928 at 10:45 AM : Apr 29, 2008

It is a mystery why you find anything "divisive" about Gov. Easley saying that Hillary is a tough fighter. He is complimenting her, that is all.
Reply to this comment
by ddwj1953 April 29, 2008 1:54 PM EDT
I believe Obama see the real truth of the matter, being we do need relief. But where do you think the oil companies are going to go to make up the lost for Clinton''s profit tax?

Read Clinton''s remarks, below, and ask yourself that question.

"My opponent, Senator Obama, opposes giving consumers a break," Clinton said, campaigning in North Carolina. "I understand the American people need some relief."

Clinton said she would make up the difference in revenue by imposing a "windfall profits tax" on oil companies.
Reply to this comment
by tx2democrats April 29, 2008 1:31 PM EDT
Obama sucks for not helping
us out here in America with a little
tax break. He gives everyone else
a break (Wright) but can''''t give a brotha
a quarter?
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