Obama: Rivals Support of Gas Tax Holiday a ‘Gimmick’

BO simply does not get it when it comes to “poor, bitter” voters who struggle with economic pressure. It is not just the gasoline taxes that you save, bonehead. It will help to reduce the costs of shipping food, groceries, clothing to your supermarkets and department stores. It save you flying, transportation, and it helps to build consumer confidence to turn the economy around.
When was the last the rich, “educated” elitist get it when small tax cuts can bring about large economic changes.
Talking about change, does BO really get it?

The gas tax pandering thing is just silly, and I have to think even Clinton and McCain supporters know this. Can you guys point to one person not associated with a campaign who thinks its a good idea?
Anyway, we also know its nothing but campaign hot air – talk – as opposed to action.
And we know this because both are calling for it this summer, when the office they are seeking won’t be unoccupied until next January. And both are sitting senators, with staffs still staffing their Washington offices.
Has either office worked up a bill for this summer? No. Just campaign pandering talk.

Obama’s “press conferences” are always one way street. When was the last time that he allowed real, tough questions asked by someone who is either not an open or a closet supporter of his?
The last 21, minus the 21st, has been abundant with phrases like “me too”, “I agree”. Can you, Louis, name a single, original policy idea come out of Obama’s brain?

OK, assuming you get a full tank of gas every week, if $2 a week will make or break yoru budget you have more serious fish to fry. Gas has gone up that amount in the last two weeks and we have not even gotten to the normal summer increases on fuel. It will do nothing to reduce the cost of transportation and there would be no trickledown. gas prices are high because the demand is high, the supply is controlled by provate parties and the dollar is weak. None of that is affected by the gas tax holiday. however the lsot revenue will allow for road projects to be delayed and repairs and maintainence to be put off. where do you think the money is going to come from to pay for the tax that HRC wants but will ot have a hope of passing? Oil companies get millions in tax breaks and still arbitrarily raise prices. HRC knows this is going no where, but that it sounds good on the news. She learned the republican playbook well abotu campaigning on fear.

Hillary needs to stop with the debate crap. She just wants to show us more of why she should not be in office.
Common sense is what Obama is made of, he is a true leader. He thinks before he makes rash decisions.

Clinton is just about as bad as Bush bony. Same old…Same old.

The problem is that the tax holiday takes money away from road and bridges… you know the bridges that are FALLING APART!!!!!!!! Literally FALLING APART people!!!!!!!!! We are going to take money away from keeping our roads and bridges safe for $28 per person. That doesn’t make any sense. Thank you Obama for telling us what we need to hear. Please get your facts right people. Hillary claims she is going to make up for the money by taxing the oil companies… of all people have been trying to do that forever and can’t get the bill passed… so where is the money going to come from???

Louis – they’re looking for a 90 minute debate about Rev Wright, and other pressing national issues.
Let’s face it. Obama hasn’t really answered the charges about his kindergarten essays yet.
Silly you, worrying about wars and energy policy.

Paul – ok, 4000 miles.

Obama is dam if he does and dam if he doesn’t with you Hillary people. Give it up. Go study Hillary, if you have common sense you will come back and want Obama. Nothing she says makes sense or would pass through Congress, like her Health Care package she has been carrying around for 35 years. There is a reason it is not effective right now. Her own husband wouldn’t even look at.

Hillary’s short fix solution for this is crazy, what’s going to happen when that tax break is over? she’s not thinking what will happen after that…

Lazy – right, 4,000 miles, if you don’t drive through any caucus states.

so you think this is a serious proposal on Clinton and McCain’s part? For this summer?
Ask yourself why their senate offices aren’t working up the legislation, then, because the next president won’t be president until January.

Throw the dog a bone and keep quiet for an hour, Hillary is not giving any solutions, just saying what you want to hear…

jozy – I support taxing the hell out of the rich, educated elitists, and the oil companies whose profits were partially benefited by the Cheney bill that Obama supports.

donald rar
Where, exactly, is Obama’s plan in the legislative flow?

Anyone want to discuss whether we should re-instate the national 55 mph limit?
I read an article that said most cars start losing gas mileage over 60 mph. Its different car by car – each has its own sweet spot. I tried it, for the last four tank fulls.
My Corolla was getting 32 mpg on average. I have about 12 miles each way on a highway while commuting. Instead of my usual 70, I’ve kept it 58 mph. I’ve averaged 35 mpg for the last four tanks. That’s close to 10 percent. I’ll keep watching, but so far, I’m a believer.

Hey isn’t this MISSION ACCOMPLISHED day times 5?
Today is one of the days a year when we look back on GWB’s decision, which was facilitated and enabled by Hillary, to invade Irak.
Wonder where the Gas Prices would be without this blunder?
Heckuva Job Bushie!
Heckuva Job Hillary!!!

Obama is just amazing. He wants to be president? Anyone can complian about some elses plan that easy .Just as normal the man has no pla of his own!!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! JUST ANOTHER JIMMY CARTER IN THE MAKING!!!

It will only save you $25-$30 over the entire summer. Plus it will increase demand causes the prices to go even higher in the end. We need a real fix to this problem not a temporary one. Obama 08

LOM: Oh sorry forgot to say, they said that if we keep the Insurance Companies in control it would not work.

rockthebleachers: Yes, he did vote for and it did pass in Illinois. That is why he is so against it now. It did not work. It cause more problems. At least he admits his mistakes and does not try to blame others.

Really, Hillary wants to right the wrongs of NAFTA because it is not working but you say she can’t do that. Maybe she changed her stand too!
Voting on Tuesday! Hoosiers for Hillary!

If this is a gimmick then what about the speech BO gave to disassociate himself from Rev Wright. That was purely for political reasons. Just when Rev questioned his posturing he got angry and threw the gimmick to the press. Why did he not disassociate himself when he heard the post 9/11 sermons. Only when it hit him personally did he move to distance himself. What an opportunist and calls himself a bridge builder. Rev Wright knew him better than any of his supporters and he could not handle the truth.

I guess we don’t know at this point, Becky. We’ll have to ask the proprietors of tourism establishments how their seasons went at the end of the summer and how their summer employees have fared.

I can see it now… McCain/Hillary 08.
The ultimate reach across the aisle, well its not that far considering how they have agreed on so many things in the past, including this gas tax fiasco. You people need to realize the gas situation and poverty aren’t going to be solved by this, or even offer any relief because the demand will increase and gas will keep rising. It is simple economics.

Once again, Obama is such a hypocrite. As an Illinois senator, he supported bills that mirror the Clinton proposed Holiday gas tax. Furthermore, Hillary isn’t talking about this Holiday tax as a long-term solution. Rather, it’s a short-term measure used in conjunction with other initiatives to bolster gas affordability for struggling American families. She also supports the on-going and new development of alternative energy sources that will dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
@ Becky: As for health care, Hillary’s plan would redistribute the hidden tax that is already deducted from most health insurance plans. Therefore, a solid portion of subsidy would not come from your paycheck, but rather from lowering premiums and altering the utilization of existing deductions.

Only Obama thinks that doing SOMETHING , even a token gesture is better than doing NOTHING.
Only Barack Obama can TWIST it around .
Its so simple. Its not much. Its not the great savoir. Its just simple and DOES save people money. Especially long haul truckers and other professonials. Its not like its the ONLY thing Clinton would do. Its something EXTRA that Obama wouldnt do.
But no. Obama takes his condescending high road like a good liberal elitist and TWISTS it around like doing very little is worse than doing nothing at all.
What a jerk.

@ A:
Actually, I wasn’t referencing who proposed the Holiday tax first, I was merely pointing out that Hillary’s stance on rising gas prices is rooted in our need for short-term as well as long-term initiatives.

tomdavie, sometimes doing nothing is better than doing something as incredibly stupid as spending money you don’t have, especially when it is not going to help.
I call Obama on this too, none of them have the guts to take on the Oil and Auto companies and mandate the end of the internal combustion engine.

take the $65MM we spend daily on the strategic oil reserve, refurbish a couple of closed plants and put some of those towns back to work producing non-gasoline powered cars. These cars will be the new fuel tax credit, instead of a check. Trade in your old car for one of these. Never pay for gas, or oil changes ever again.

Uhno, because gas prices will still go up over the summer and beyond.

Delta provided less for the same price. Now if you wanted to save in that fashion, use less gas. The holiday is more akin to a store stating that prices have been slashed by 10% after they just raised them by 25%, no actual net savings.

In Our state they give sales tax holidays what can it hurt if we can spend billions on everything and any thing why not a sales tax break.

Mark – You miss the point. Because all of the other prices are going up, any money I save from gas prices goes to offset the higher price of food/groceries and mortgage but I’m still BEHIND in total $ because of the overall impact. Hence, thoughts of driving to the beach are just those – thoughts, but happy ones.
The gas tax holiday, as proposed by HRC with offset of windfall tax on oil cos, is no different than the stimulus package which Obama did support — and which most economists will also say has little or no effect on the economy …because most people are going to use it to pay off existing debts/obligations and necessities instead of creating new buying power. It’s inconsistent for Obama to vote YES on the stimulus check and NO on the gas tax — both of which are short-term RELIEF measures.
Where’s the outrage over that? Is it the principles that drive you, or the $$ involved?

JAKE – SHAME ON YOU FOR NOT REPORTING THAT OBAMA VOTED FOR 3 GAS TAX HOLIDAYS IN ILLINOIS! OF COURSE, HE’S NOW JUST GRANDSTANDING. POLITICS AS USUAL.

UhNo-
The difference between the stimulus and gas tax is that people will actually get a check in the mail, the gas tax is no guarantee that people will see a decrease in price at the pump. As the demand increases so does the price. So your logic is flawed that it is the same. The stimulus injects money into peoples pockets, the gas bill would either delay the inevitable rise of gas prices or even more likely no one will see a price drop whatsoever.

irma talking about elitism is rich.
Yesterday Hillary admits she does not know how the Pay at the Pump works because she’s had a Chauffeur for the last 20 years.
And then, Hills can’t figure out how to pour herself a cup of joe inside the Gas Station.
Ya – real common touch.

Mark – The time value of money is a real issue … if you want to bump the economy up, it’s a series of consistent upticks as opposed to one big silver bullet.
A delay in rising gas prices is real money in the moment it happens. You might view the potential benefit as incremental if you’re a suburban, SUV-driving, arugula -eating employed citizen. But, if your circumstances place you on the margin, short-term inputs right now can make a difference.
And still, show me one analyst who has considered the broader implications on trucking/transportation where nominal differentials in unit pricing add up to more signficant savings?
In the end, it’s short-term relief absolutely — but do you not give a starving man a meal today because you can’t feed him tomorrow?

McCain knows nothing about the economy and admits as much. All he knows is war. A vote for McCain is a vote for World War III and 8 years of unparalleled financial disaster. Temperamental 72 year old POWs who married into wealth, own 8 homes, and bend over backwards to accomodate corporate interests every chance they get do not necessarily make the best leaders. McCain is not going to do you or your children any good; if you aren’t already filthy rich he is going to make your life harder and send your children to die in the Middle East. McCain isn’t a bad guy on a personal level, he’s likable, but if you vote for him you are flushing this country and thousands of human lives straight down the toilet. Then again, if you voted Bush in and your conscience still hasn’t caught up with you after 8 years, you’re either hopelessly naive, just plain heartless, or listen to way too much right-wing talk radio BS. Wake up and grow up and do the right thing for a change. This isn’t a game: one more run of dishonest, misguided Republican rule and the US is going to collapse like the Roman Empire.

What about Lawn care people and construction workers and every other person that has to use a car or truck. that 18 cents a gallon is a big saving and she said she would make it up from a windfall tax.on oil profits

In spite of all her “warts”, Hillary Clinton is America’s best choice among the three candidates still in the running. She’s the only one of the three who can be considered a “moderate” by any measurement. Haven’t you had enough far right versus far left?

You’ve got to love that Obama voted for a gas tax holiday three times in Illinois, but now that his ivory tower buddies are telling him it’s not sound public policy, too bad for the nation’s drivers.
That’s why he’s sinking like a rock in Indiana, and in the national poll of polls as well. Keep your eye on things, supers! Doesn’t make much sense to over-rely on old contests that were held 4+ months ago!

Obama on the TODAY Show 5/1/08:
“After those San Francisco remarks, he was hit with the elitist tag.
Obama knows why he’s attracted the attacks. “Here I am. An African-American named Barack Obama who’s running for president,” he said with a chuckle. “I mean, that’s a leap for folks.””

Here I am an AA here I am an AA that is all we have heard but don’t anyone dare use the race card unless it’s Obama

Obama voted 3 times for a tax break from gas taxes while an illinios state senator
damn he’s two faced

i think the gas price is not high enough. we need to drive less and develop alternative energy.

God. I am sooooo sick of barack obama

It is more than thirty dollars for some
and when you are rolling your spare change to put in your tank or paying high prices in the food store it does make it easier for some.

Mark – Starving man still starves? Are you another one of those “smart” and “educated” Obama groupies who refuse to think outside the box? Gas tax reprieve will damage road construction and so on? Duh? Perhaps you can say that in isolation if that was the “only” program Hillary proposed but if you were to include Hillary’s entire platform which includes roads, check and balances on the oil industry, and I do work for big oil, and so then we’re getting somewhere. Which also gives valuable time for the nation’s industries to get back on its feet. And trust me fuel savings does affect the nation and its people as a whole.

I owe so many of you Hillary supporters a debt of gratitude for making me laugh so much today. Anyone who honestly thinks that she will make America better is really wasting their time and that of the country’s. Go home to your boring husband, Hillary, and enjoy your $109 million and the chauffer! Welcome President Obama! Finally, someone who really matters!

Almost every one I know right now is struggling to make ends meet. Every little bit helps. When the government is going to give a break to the middle class, no matter how small, we have to grab it. Obama voted for such gas tax breaks 3 times in the Illinois legislature, so why is he now against it? If he becomes president and some other tax relief comes up for the middle/working class, will he veto that too because it’s “a gimmick”. He’s out of touch and his empty campaign rhetoric is out of time.

What do they know? – Same “expert” who say no to universal health care maybe? Every other civilized western nation on earth has proven them wrong. Exactly. They’re only “experts” pushing one more point of view. Its just a matter of which group of “experts” do you choose to use?

A – Why are Clinton supporters so ignorant?
==============================
When you find yourself asking stupid question perhaps the answer lies with the questioner.

I’m looking at pricing sensitivity, not lower prices. The published economists are basing arguments according to old patterns applied in a vacuum: 1) increased demand puts pressure on supply (along w/the seasonal switchoff) which leads to summer price increases and 2) lifting the tax flows through the supply chain with decreased impact on the consumer since there’s no requirement/incentive on the suppliers to share it all.
But w/increased pricing everywhere, there’s also evidence to show that consumers are cutting back on gas consumption both b/c of the price of gas itself and b/c of the need to pay for other things. Ditto for small business and big business. As people cut back, suppliers at the bottom of the supply chain (not MOBILEXXON, etc) get hit by increased competition which can lead some of them to sacrifice margin to make up volume.
The real question is which one wins in the end –which goes to the pricing sensitivity issue. Given current state of economy, there’s no certainty that gas demand outpaces the cost increases of food, material, or other goods.
At worst, the tax holiday (if crafted w/offset revenue as HRC’s plan would) is no harm, no foul in that it takes some of the sting out of even higher prices. At best, it actually impacts people’s pocketbooks which could help keep momentum on any jump that comes from stimulus check.
Your reaction to the starving man analogy is telling. Too many of the tax holiday critics are dismissing the holiday because it doesnt answer long-term needs, only short-term. However, any long term solution requires more time than is available to many people — this “perfection is the enemy of the good” perspective really translates into letting some people suffer now with an eye on possible future gains, and misses the cumulative impact that declines in individual spending has on the overall economy.
In the end, this is all a lot of furor over nothing – because this do-nothing congress isn’t going to touch the issue.

“How will Obama get enough delegates to put him over the top?”
Perhaps because he has more votes, more states won, and more pledged delegates and thus has earned the nomination; the remaining supers to vote for him.
I’d say that’s more compelling than the “I say I’m better even though the majority of voters disagreed and I didn’t win in any catagory arguement.”
Or the “The way I count, I win” arguement.
Of course, Dean and his henchmen could always decide that the entire primary process doesn’t matter and just broker their own candidate. Yes, they “could”, according to Dean, “but that’s NEVER happened and is very unlikely.”
That answer your question?

Barack himself is the gimmick.

Keep in mind that that $28 bucks in savings that people think is so critical to them, that is $28 dollars spent over 4 months and assumes a full tank of gas each week. I would suggest that if the $28 is that important to you over that period of time, you are not likely to be filling up yoru tank on a weekly basis and would therefore not save that much anywway, assumign the gas prices stayed as they were yesterday, which they did not.

Prof. Yes, you’re right. Barack himself IS a gimmick.

Who is the elitest who doesn’t worry about the common people who need gas to drive to work or chauffer their children, much less needing to visit Grandma or have a little mini vacation trip? He just does not get it. We all know that we need a long term solution, too. This is about allowing people to survive. Most people need gas to go to work, if they have not lost their jobs. Then, I guess they need to buy gas to go look for a job. Save the people now! For crying out loud, he is so green that he just doesn’t get it.

Obama is only against a gas tax holiday, because McCain and HRC were first to suggest it and beat Obama to the idea. He does not want to look like a follower, and has to save face for not thinking of it first. The proof is in the pudding. In 2000 as an Illinois State Senator, Obama voted for an Illinois State gas tax holiday 3 times. Obama has now been caught playing old style obstructionist politics, just because it wasn’t his idea. It proves that his claim that he will bring a new kind of politics to Washington, is nothing but false rhetoric.