Obama Dismisses Gas Tax Holiday

Senator Says Gimmick Won’t Help Consumers, Designed To Get Rivals Through Election

(AP)  Democrat Barack Obama dismissed his rivals' calls for national gas tax holiday as a political ploy that won't help struggling consumers. Hillary Rodham Clinton said his stance shows he's out of touch with the economic realities faced by ordinary citizens.

Clinton and certain Republican presidential nominee John McCain are calling for a holiday on collecting the federal gas tax “to get them through an election,” Obama said at a campaign rally before more than 2,000 cheering backers a week before crucial primaries in Indiana and North Carolina. “The easiest thing in the world for a politician to do is tell you exactly what you want to hear.”

Clinton, who toured the Miller Veneers wood manufacturing company in Indianapolis, said “there are a lot of people in Indiana who would really benefit from a gas tax holiday.

“That might not mean much to my opponent, but I think it means a lot to people who are struggling here, people who commute a long way to work, farmers and truckers,” Clinton said. She has called for a windfall tax on oil companies to pay for a gas tax holiday.

“Senator Obama won't provide relief, while Senator McCain won't pay for it,” Clinton said. “I'm the only candidate who will provide immediate relief at the pump, with a plan.”

In his comments, Obama was continuing a running dispute over whether ending collection of the gas tax is the quickest and best way to help consumers. Leading in delegates and the popular vote, Obama in recent days has focused on McCain, but he broadened that criticism Tuesday to include Democrat Clinton.

“Now the two Washington candidates in the race have decided to do something different,” said Obama. “John McCain started it, he made the proposal, and then Hillary Clinton said 'me too.”'

The plan would suspend collecting the 18.4 cent federal gas tax 24.4 cent diesel tax for the summer.

He said drying up gas tax collections would batter highway construction, costing North Carolina up to 7,000 jobs, while saving consumers little.

“We're arguing over a gimmick that would save you half a tank of gas over the course of the entire summer so that everyone in Washington can pat themselves on the back and say they did something,” said Obama.

“Well, let me tell you, this isn't an idea designed to get you through the summer, it's designed to get them through an election,” said Obama. He said his call for middle-class tax cuts would be far more beneficial than suspending gas tax collections.

Obama took a different view on the issue when he was an Illinois legislator, voting at least three times in favor of temporarily lifting the state's 5 percent sales tax on gasoline.

The tax holiday was finally approved during a special session in June of 2000, when Illinois motorists were furious that gas prices had just topped $2 a gallon in Chicago.

During one debate, he joked that he wanted signs on gas pumps in his district to say, “Senator Obama reduced your gasoline prices.”

But the impact of the tax holiday was never clear. A government study could not determine how much of the savings was passed along to motorists. Many lawmakers said their constituents didn't seem to have benefited. They also worried the tax break was pushing the state budget out of balance.

When legislation was introduced to eliminate the tax permanently, Obama voted “no.” The effort failed, and the sales tax was allowed to take effect again.

Responding to Obama's criticism, McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds said the Illinois senator “does not understand the effect of gas prices on the economy. Senator Obama voted for a gas tax reduction before he opposed it.”

Bounds was deliberately echoing one of Democrat John Kerry's most troublesome missteps of the 2004 presidential campaign. Kerry said of funding for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.”

Obama and Clinton both opened their campaign day in North Carolina. Clinton toured a research facility, and collected the prized endorsement of Gov. Mike Easley.

“It's time for somebody to be in the White House who understands the challenges we face in this country,” said Easley, in announcing his backing of Clinton. She then promptly headed for a string of events in Indiana.

“The governor and I have something in common - we think results matter,” said Clinton.

Easley is popular with white, working-class voters that have formed the base for Clinton's success in recent primaries.

While Obama is favored in North Carolina, the race in Indiana is very tight, and Obama was heading there Wednesday.

Obama collected endorsements of his own during the day: In Kentucky, Rep. Ben Chandler, son of former Gov. A.B. “Happy” Chandler, gave Obama his backing ahead of that state's May 20 primary, and in Iowa, Democratic National Committee member Richard Machacek - a supporter of former Sen. John Edwards before he dropped out of the presidential race - switched his support to Obama.

Interest in the two primaries next week has been high. Officials in Indiana said nearly 90,000 people have cast early ballots, far outpacing absentee turnout in 2004.

At stake Tuesday are 115 delegates in North Carolina, and 72 in Indiana.

[sgtrds]

Hillary agreeing with McCain is news? She''s been on his side for a long time now! She wants him to win so she can run again in 2012.

[kansas1946]

That God we have at least one candidate with a brain who recognizes the McCain/Clinton gas givaway for what it is. Lord.

[k_c_waters]

Gee suspend tax for three whole months?! ***! Is that the best solution Washington (Hillary/McSame) can come up with? Typical pandering is what it amounts to. Maybe McSame can afford to fill his wifes private jet, what an idiot.

[liar-clinton]

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.

[dante805]

Nice lie there Obamakin. If you were only as Clean as the White shirts you ONLY wear. What''s up with that? If you use his logic why not raise the gas taxes more and employee 50,000 more people. What in idiot.

[themagic07]

This is the truth%u2026Obama is the combination of Rev Wright and Rezko. This rookie is a phony and DISHONEST. Pls don%u2019t be fooled by salesman. If he is the nominee, the republicans will eat him alive. We, as the Democrats, deserve better!

[craigh9]

Once again, only Obama gets it - IF THE GOVERNMENT CAN''T QUANTIFY WHAT THE SAVINGS WAS TO THE CONSUMER LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED THEN GUESS WHAT - THE CONSUMER SAVED ZIP!!! He is spot on about politicians taking a hot topic and make you think they are doing something for you when they really aren''t. THINK ABOUT IT!!!! @ 0.184 cents per gallon that amounts to roughly a 5% reduction in gasoline for 14 weeks - the average american would save less than $35 for the entire summer - BIG WHOOP!
It makes much more sense to force big oil to use the obsence profits they obtained to come up with long term solutions - that''s what we need, providing a gas tax break worth $2.50 per week for 14 weeks is useless.

[madashell4lo]

I am poor. I am on a fixed income. Cutting the tax
on gas for the summer is a patch and will accomplish
only one small, insignificant period of short duration
cost reduction that at it''s best could be called pandering in it''s worst definition. At it''s present rate of increase the cost of gasoline will have surpassed the few cents per gallon tax cut before any
one could feel any real savings at the pump. This is not a solution to any thing other than an attempt to
garner a speaking point for Bill''s wife and Sen. Mac.
Unless this country puts an end to the strangle hold that the oil companies have on our economy, while
greedily making unseemly profits at our expense, this country will never be able to forestall a depression
worse than the one of the 30s.
The present administration has successfully removed
all of the safe guards that were designed to hold the
financial institutions in check. This became evident in the wake of the housing crisis. Banking and Lending has been allowed to run amok and will continue to do so.

[venkata4--2008]

Yeah, give tax holiday and loose 10 billions tax revenue to repair bridges, roads and freeways so that we can pay 18 cents less per gallon. How to compensate for this short fall with a budget deficit of 400 billions and war with Iran on cards ???

But we do not know when the bridges under our car tires will crumble and fall.

[craigh9]

Once again Hillary finds something see can use to scare the less educated into keeping in line with her - she hands you pennies while picking your pocket of dollars - and those voters only say "thank you" - open your eyes Indiana, it''s time to send Old Gaurd Hillary away and elect someone that actually might do something for you. Vote Obama

[craigh9]

This overwhelmingly negative campaign Hillary is running is absolutely disgusting. She can''t rise up an get elected, so she chooses to rip Obama apart and pull him down to a level beneath her so she looks better, and in doing so is possibly robbing our country of an opportunity for change.
Hillary is a political cancer that must be eradicated NOW - come on Indiana, show the rest of the country that you are smarter than Hillary givees you credit for - Vote Obama

[b-easy63]

%u201CWe''re arguing over a gimmick that would save you half a tank of gas over the course of the entire summer so that everyone in Washington can pat themselves on the back and say they did something,%u201D said Obama.

%u201CWell, let me tell you, this isn''t an idea designed to get you through the summer, it''s designed to get them through an election,%u201D said Obama."


THAT says it all, all voters should line up and put Hillary and McCain and Bush through a line and we each should throw their 18 cents and their 24 cents savings per gal in coin at their heads until they are black and blue lumps on the road.

[b-easy63]

And why should we even believe your response?


Posted by tuffone3 at 09:47 AM : Apr 30, 2008


Yeah!!! Let''s just believe the candidate whose husbands lobbying just netted him and her 800 thousand dollars for supporting CAFTA--that seems about right--so when she gives you pennies at the pump--you can proclaim her a god. LOL

[b-easy63]

This overwhelmingly negative campaign Hillary is running is absolutely disgusting. She can''''t rise up an get elected, so she chooses to rip Obama apart and pull him down to a level beneath her so she looks better, and in doing so is possibly robbing our country of an opportunity for change.
Hillary is a political cancer that must be eradicated NOW - come on Indiana, show the rest of the country that you are smarter than Hillary givees you credit for - Vote Obama

Posted by craigh9 at 02:44 PM : Apr 30, 2008

If Obama supporters really feel this way about Hillary, they need to stop saying they will vote for her no matter what.

when they say that--she does what she wants--knowing she has the votes no matter what--and it helps her electability, since her supporters won''t support Obama but his supporters will turn coat and support her--so when she takes that to the superdelegates--who looks more electable? When Obama said "yes we can" his supporters must have thought that meant him by himself. HELP your candidate--do NOT say you will support HRC no matter what!!

[b-easy63]

So now HRC does not have to testify in the campaign fraud case against Bill that also implicates her--until AFTER the November elections? So says the judge who appears to not want the story about Hillary and this fraud to taint her bid for the Presidency. But why not? We don''''t need another Clinton impeachment when we find out what a lying fraud who stole money that she really is (they''''ve got VIDEO and the tape of her voice --Hilterly supporters!!)

Is this like Rezko? Nope--Rezko involved Obama''''s association with a questionable person. This involved HRC and Bill''''s questionable actions (and potentially illegal actions) with a questionable person. Big difference.

Obama''''s could harm his campaign, Hillary''''s could land her before a Grand jury and like DeLay--facing jail time now the judge steps in and says everyone EXCEPT Hillary, can testify now-but Hillary gets to wait until after the election is over--wonder why? The judge also told one of the lawyers of Hillary/Bill to say Hi to a buddy of his who worked for that firm. Nice and cosy eh?

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.
com/talk/2008/04/breaking-news-hilla
ry
-clinton.php

What does a civil case have to do with fraud? Hillary lied on a deposition about the same issue that got her campaign mgr (David Rosen) indicted. and she is caught on tape helping to plan a fundraiser that would limit the donation to her to 25K--but it was for 250K--10X the amount. If proven--then that is fraud-- LMAO