Democratic Congressman v Gibbs
EmailRep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and something of a firebrand, took issue with comments made last week by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.
Gibbs had been asked about comments made by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former GOP congressman and a friend of Oberstar’s, in which he entertained the notion of a mileage tax on motorists. Gas taxes have long funded federal highway and bridge construction projects, but as gas mileage improves, transportation experts say a new revenue stream is needed. Policymakers in various states have been moving in the direction of a tax based on miles traveled rather than gallons purchased.
"We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled," LaHood said in an interview with the Associated Press.
The AP asked Gibbs about this Friday.
"Has the President weighed in on this?" a reporter asked.
"I don’t believe the President has," Gibbs said. "I can weigh in on it and say that it is not and will not be the policy of the Obama administration."
"So was Secretary LaHood speaking out of turn here?" asked the reporter.
"I would direct you to Secretary LaHood on that," Gibbs said.
"Well, we actually interviewed him, so — " said the reporter.
"Well," said Gibbs, "call him back."
In an interview with Congressional Quarterly, Oberstar said that LaHood "had the temerity to think…and what did he get? Slapped down. He’s a good man. A decent man. Don’t let him get slapped down by know-nothings."
Oberstar then suggested that Gibbs ought to stay out of the conversation on transportation policy.
"I’ve got news for you," Oberstar said, "transportation policy isn’t going to be written in the press room of the White House."
Oh, it’s on.
- jpt
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Is Gibbs from Texas? He seems to have inherited Bush’s foot in mouth disease, maybe from the longhorn cattle.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | February 24, 2009, 7:55 am 7:55 am
Just another example of how surprisingly little control Obama has over Dems in Congress.
Posted by: matt | February 24, 2009, 8:06 am 8:06 am
Transportation policy is being written? What next, railroad infrastructure, mass-transit? You tell them, Oberstar!
Posted by: federico vidargas | February 24, 2009, 8:23 am 8:23 am
This is another example of how little control Obama has over Dems in Congress.
Posted by: matt | February 24, 2009, 8:28 am 8:28 am
At least someone knows something and says something about PB0′s know-nothing.
Move to the 3rd district and rid of that useless rep from here.
Posted by: kat | February 24, 2009, 8:41 am 8:41 am
I think there is going to be more of this internal bickering with the Dems. While Obama is a charasmatic man and great orator, he is not showing the eladership to control his party or Press Secretary.
I am not sure how the Press guy can promise a policy issue he has ot spoken with the President over.
Posted by: FederalistBlogs | February 24, 2009, 8:45 am 8:45 am
Gibbs is not doing any favors for Obama.
Posted by: jennifert7 | February 24, 2009, 8:56 am 8:56 am
LaHood found out what happens when you cross The ONE.
Posted by: drjohn | February 24, 2009, 8:58 am 8:58 am
“Is Gibbs from Texas?”
Heh.
He’s from Chicago. Just like Obama.
This is the Chicago Way.
Posted by: drjohn | February 24, 2009, 8:59 am 8:59 am
Since when does the press secrectary speak out on personal views of policy????
What a Buffoon!!!!
Like Oberstar explained— simply a “no-nothing” !!!
Posted by: Roscoe2400 | February 24, 2009, 9:20 am 9:20 am
Has anyone said anything good about a mileage based tax yet? Cause Oberstar’s hurt feelings aside, I think that’s the problem.
Posted by: post | February 24, 2009, 9:33 am 9:33 am
Gosh I have been over here hardly at all since the election and I see that sadly this has turned into nothing more than a circle jerk of Republicans.
You lost. Get use to it. Read the NYT today where 68% approve of the actions taken my our President.
Posted by: Lynn | February 24, 2009, 9:57 am 9:57 am
I assume the White House slapped down the mileage tax because it is bad policy. It provides an incentive for people to drive inefficient vehicles. Someone who takes a 10-mile trip that uses a gallon of gas is taxed the same as someone who drives a 10-mile trip and uses a half gallon of gas. A better policy would be to provide an incentive for people to drive more efficient cars, which is what the tax on gas does.
Posted by: chris | February 24, 2009, 9:57 am 9:57 am
We need to encourage a reduction in energy consumption; our economy and national security are at risk. I think this idea of mileage tax is nonsense. Increase the gas tax if needed.
Posted by: ThinkAhead | February 24, 2009, 9:58 am 9:58 am
The mileage tax will create paperwork for all citizens to fill out and chance are there will be cheats. Using the flat gas tax works already but it does tax rural Americans more. The gas tax also helps to push people to fuel efficient cars and electric cars. A mileage tax would tax all cars so why would people decide to be more efficient?
Posted by: Michael | February 24, 2009, 10:16 am 10:16 am
Posted by: Roscoe2400
“Is Gibbs from Texas?”
“Heh.
He’s from Chicago. Just like Obama.
This is the Chicago Way.”
You are incorrect.
Robert Gibbs is from Auburn, Alabama. He attended NC State. Upon graduating from NC State he became Congressman Glenn Browder’s executive assistant in Washington, D.C. Then Gibbs was press secretary for Congressman Bob Etheridge of North Carolina in the late 1990′s. He also served as press secretary of John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign.
The only time Gibbs spent in Chicago was when he worked with the Obama 2008 campaign.
Posted by: Charles | February 24, 2009, 10:20 am 10:20 am
Sorry, that was a drjohn quote that I just referenced.
Sorry Roscoe2400
Posted by: Charles | February 24, 2009, 10:21 am 10:21 am
i agree it has become a club house for rabid republicans who are looking for ANYWHERE to take a cheap shot at dems and barack.
it actually got pretty looney in the election too. i haven’t been here in months either.
not worth the time
Posted by: drzoon | February 24, 2009, 10:41 am 10:41 am
Sorry Oberstar, but it was Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood who stepped out of line. LaHood should have floated his idea first with the WH, before entertaining the notion of a mileage tax with journalists.
As you yourself said “transportation policy isn’t going to be written in the press room”.
And a mileage tax is a silly idea: it completely ignores a key problem of (energy consumption) and it’s extremely expensive to implement with a lot of bureaucracy and overhead costs.
Gas tax is easier, far mor cost effective, and has two benefits: people saving on energy consumption AND people trying to save on mileage.
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | February 24, 2009, 10:42 am 10:42 am
Has anybody actually taken the time to do the math. Look down here in Texas we pay about 32 cents per gallon in federal and state taxes on gas. It takes me about 400 miles before I fill up. Which means that if if my car got around 32.1 miles per gallon then it would take around 13.3 gallons to fill my tank. 13.3 multiplied by 32 cents adds up to $4.26 for my 400 miles of driving. I believe what Sec La Hood proposed was something like a quarter of a cent per mile as a mileage tax. Under these same circumstances I would pay 1 dollar at a .0025 cent per mile fro my 400 miles versus what I currently pay at about $4.26 for 400 miles. How does this work? Everything I have been reading over the past decade or so talks about the increased cost of building and maintaining our interstate highway system, but under La Hood’s idea the federal government would be taking in less money. So unless there are some othe details about this plan then I really don’t understand how this new type of tax would be able to deal with our interstate highway system by taking in less revenue.
Posted by: joshquasimoto | February 24, 2009, 11:06 am 11:06 am
As with all the problems we are currently in, it may seem inappropriate timing to talk about taxing mileage or increasing the gas tax. I would prefer a gas tax, but it should be gradual increase to allow for the public to purchase fuel efficient (and hopefully American) made cars.
Maybe LaHood just wanted to make sure that he would stay in the press…but he forgot that there is not I in team!
Posted by: afisher | February 24, 2009, 11:09 am 11:09 am
Got it. Obama won. Let’s continue he debate about policy and the new administration.
I don’t like the idea of the one-two punch of fuel taxes and mileage taxes. There is a breaking point where Americans feel they are being overtaxed. Use the money you are already collecting more efficiently. Creative revenue streams is just finding more ways to take what’s left of our paychecks (if we still have them).
I hope Obama finds a new press secretary who isn’t such an evasive and derisive jerk. Gibbs isn’t helping the White House with his abrasive demeaner.
Posted by: ChicagoTeaParty | February 24, 2009, 11:12 am 11:12 am
“the debate”
Posted by: ChicagoTeaParty | February 24, 2009, 11:13 am 11:13 am
Where are all the liberals out there who were whining and crying that Bush “violated” their rights ?
You mental midgets do realize that this concept of taxing your miles means tracking your daily movements….don’t you?
where is your outrage now? You have spent the past few years flapping your gums at imaginary issues, why are yo unot all over these guys for wanting to do this?
Posted by: Mike_C | February 24, 2009, 11:14 am 11:14 am
Read the NYT today
————————
Are they still in business?
Posted by: mad | February 24, 2009, 11:32 am 11:32 am
Gibbs is a combative, petulant, boorish goon. He was a horrible choice by Obama, who supposedly has god-like judgement ability, unless of course, Obama wanted a combative, petulant, boorish press spokesperson.
Posted by: OxyCon | February 24, 2009, 11:54 am 11:54 am
Mike C said, “You mental midgets do realize that this concept of taxing your miles means tracking your daily movements….don’t you?
where is your outrage now? You have spent the past few years flapping your gums at imaginary issues, why are you not all over these guys for wanting to do this?”
First of all starting your comment with an ad hominen attack is not really a productive way to engage in discourse. Maybe if you had looked further down the blog you would see that many on this blog have problems with Mr La Hood’s idea. Second Mr La Hood’s idea is incomplete, as I pointed out in my blog post. Unless he is asking for a mileage tax to be added to our already state and federal taxes we pay at the pump it would appear that this idea reeks of double taxation. If it is supposed to replace our federal and state taxes at the pump then it would be insufficent in collecting the amount of revenue we would need to maintain and build new roads. At a bare minimum this story needs a lot of fleshing out. As to whether or not a tracking system would make the liberal community give pause, I think if you looked over at the daily kos or any other liberal websites you would have found the trashing you were looking for.
Posted by: joshquasimoto | February 24, 2009, 11:55 am 11:55 am
Well, we could always bring back the incompetent Bush press secretaries whose only mission was to sell Bush’s propaganda and lies. Good riddins to Fleischer, McClellan & Perino etal who had no integrity other than to be puppets for the most incompetent and corrupt administration EVER
Posted by: Maria from PA | February 24, 2009, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
LaHood should not propose policy to the press before proposing it to the President. Period. Oberstar would do his friend a big favor by pointing out that policy is not made in the press room.
Posted by: TJ | February 24, 2009, 12:08 pm 12:08 pm
“Read the NYT today where 68% approve of the actions taken my our President.”
Posted by: Lynn | Feb 24, 2009 9:57:45
AM
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hi Lynn,
Not too many people read the NYT anymore. Have you seen the new Gallup poll? Especially how sharply Obama’s negatives have gone up? Ouch! And it’s only been a month. Yikes!
Posted by: jennifert7 | February 24, 2009, 12:12 pm 12:12 pm
First of all starting your comment with an ad hominen attack is not really a productive way to engage in discourse.
Perhaps you should pass that on to most of the liberalposters here who always attacked the previous administration in that fashion! That was who my post was aimed at.
Posted by: Mike_C | February 24, 2009, 12:13 pm 12:13 pm
JOshQ is overly optimistic if he thinks they want a milage tax instead of a per gallon tax. They actually want BOTH! As others have mentioned in their post the real issue is one of civil liberties and this proposal is just another assault on personal freedom. It shouldn’t come as a surprise as we just had our medical histories become public fodder with TARP II. It is about time that it was someone other than gun owners who felt the hot breath of big brother on their necks. Wake up and smell the stench of facism. IT IS HERE NOW :-( The next thing is that they will be putting RFID chips in you.
Posted by: Kevin Kiernan | February 24, 2009, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
Who’s talking about tracking our movements? In any state (mine is NY) that has auto inspections yearly, one of the pieces of data is the current odometer reading. When sent to the state, it tells them how many miles you traveled since the last inspection, NOT where you went. Try being a little objective in your comments; ad hominem attacks are not called for in every instance.
Posted by: Stephen Edelstein | February 24, 2009, 12:21 pm 12:21 pm
PRESIDENT OBAMA-67% Approval Ratings
DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS 50%Approval Rating
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS 37% Approval Rating
Now I say keep it up Republicans each day you are going Down soon your ratings will be worse then George Bush,Go President Obama steam roll the Republicans!
Posted by: Angie | February 24, 2009, 12:36 pm 12:36 pm
This is an example of what is wrong with our modern press. Not a lick of information on what is good policy, just stupid beltway gossip. Typical trash from the traditional media.
Posted by: Julian in Austin | February 24, 2009, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
Obama is “steamrolling” the Republicans while consumer confidence sinks to an all-time record low on his watch, and confidence in progress on the war on terror has plumetted in the past two weeks. Way to go, Messiah!
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | February 24, 2009, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
Fascist
Then why does 67% of people approve Obama and Only 37% approve Republicans?
Posted by: Angie | February 24, 2009, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
I don’t like the idea of the one-two punch of fuel taxes and mileage taxes. There is a breaking point where Americans feel they are being overtaxed.
[...]
I hope Obama finds a new press secretary who isn’t such an evasive and derisive jerk. Gibbs isn’t helping the White House with his abrasive demeaner.
Posted by: ChicagoTeaParty
=========================================
Huh?
The REPUBLICAN LaHood proposed an extra tax and floats it to the press; Gibbs shoots it down
And yet you admonish Gibbs and not LaHood?
I think that’s extremely funny.
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | February 24, 2009, 1:34 pm 1:34 pm
L’Orange, not everyone is partisan. We debate the ideas not the party. As an independent conservative I have no problem calling out bad ideas on both sides. I am for less government and more freedom.
And, yes, Gibbs is a major tool… in the Obama tool box.
Posted by: ChicagoTeaParty | February 24, 2009, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm
Seventy-three percent of Americans who responded to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Monday said they were somewhat or very “scared” about the way things are going in the United States.
Posted by: WikiWiki | February 24, 2009, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm
Willem-The REPUBLICAN LaHood proposed an extra tax and floats it to the press; Gibbs shoots it down
__________________________________________
“Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former GOP congressman.” See the word FORMER.
Posted by: PA | February 24, 2009, 4:32 pm 4:32 pm
Gibbs is from Alabama.
Posted by: MajGenDude | February 24, 2009, 4:43 pm 4:43 pm
Angie, I’m not sure where you’re getting your made-up poll data about Congressional approval ratings, but according to the RCP average, the current overall approval for Congress is 31.8%, significantly less than even your supposed Republican approval.
Even Pres. Obama’s approval is slouching toward 60% (currently 62.5%). His approval according to Gallup has fallen from 66% to 59% in one week. He and his supporters are quickly running out of the “We won. Get over it!” gravy. The American public now want the meat, as in, “Yes, but what have you accomplished since you won?”
Posted by: Bull Moose | February 25, 2009, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm