Great ad.

Close the deal Senator and lets win this time.

And this is a little something about the Illinois tax that the factcheck refers to:

Let me preempt/disclose one additional point here, which is that in 2000, Obama voted in favor of a similar proposal in the Illinois State Senate, which temporarily reduced the state's gas tax from 6.25% to 1.25% percent. The policy passed the State Senate 50-0, with 6 present votes. There is a good backgrounder on this point here.

While from my standpoint, almost any policy that encourages fossil fuel consumption is bad thing, there is a very important economic distinction between the Illinois gas tax and the federal gas tax. Namely, the Illinois gas tax is assessed on a percentage basis, whereas the federal tax is assessed on a flat, per-gallon basis.

What that means is that when gas prices go up, Illinois will be making more revenue from its gas tax. In 2000, gas prices spiked in Illinois by about 50%, and so the state was bringing in far more revenue from the gas tax than it has anticipated. Thus, it might have been "fair" to give consumers a break; they had already paid about nine months' worth of the state's usual gas tax receipts in the first six months of the year.

However, this is not true of the federal gas tax. In fact, the federal government will bring in less revenue from the gas tax when prices go up, because the price increases will somewhat curb demand (it's also worth noting that the federal gas tax has not been re-indexed to inflation in about a dozen years, when the last increase was signed into law by Bill Clinton). So, at the very least, there was not the issue in Illinois about a budget shortfall resulting from the gas tax suspension, whereas that very much would be a problem at the federal level.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/28/03322/1182/827/504632

Horrendously bad ideas ARE EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR HILLARY!!!

The best thing about this ad is how it points out one more time that Hillary is no better than a Republican.

So if she steals the nomination I'll feel no remorse at all for voting for Nader and rat-f*cking her and her obnoxious ass supporters into history's dustbin.

So much for the hard-nosed policy expert. If she's eager to jump on this bit of cheap demagoguery, why should anyone believe she'll take any other problems seriously?

Forget the nose plug.

I will not vote for The Monster.

Sigh. Clinton pandering and Obama telling the painful truth...again.

I guess he learned from this strategy's failure in Illinois. Good for him.

He is amazingly smart...almost always right...and clearly a change from Clinton and McCain.

I would cheerfully rush to the polls to be the first in line to vote for the candidate who would promise us a gas tax hike. We need to cut back on our petroleum consumption and prices hikes are the only thing that will make that happen. We waste so much petroleum already that I can think of few policies more irresponsible than moving to encourage more consumption by lowering the price.

Good for Obama refusing to pander, especially in a meek "Me, too!" responsive fashion to a half-assed McCain proposal. I've had enough of that garbage, thanks very much.

Obama framed this issue very well at the Chapel Hill rally last night. Reminded me of the very best reasons to support Obama.

That ad is AWESOME! Hillary Clinton makes taxes on gasoline look like pansy-fairy gay nerds.

Is there something I'm missing about a gas tax? It doesn't seem much more effective than a politician throwing five dollar bills out of the window of their limousine.

FWIW, Washington Post gave this proposal Two Pinocchios, which they define as:

"Significant omissions and/or exaggerations. Some factual error may be involved but not necessarily. A politician can create a false, misleading impression by playing with words and using legalistic language that means little to ordinary people."

But since her Bosnia thriller was Four Pinocchios, maybe it means she's getting better? ;-)

Oilbama doesn't like the gas tax holiday after voting for Dick Cheney's Energy Bill? Wonder why that is.

McCain and Hillary voted against it.

Say it isn't so!

Richardson is on Hardball right now ridiculing Hillary's gas holiday pandering.

She's going to get creamed on this one. What a moron.

The most deceptive part of this ad is when the screen flashes that Hillary supports using a "windfall tax" to suspend the gas tax, and then flashes that Obama opposes suspending the gas tax. Most people not well-versed in the exact positions of the two candidates would come away thinking that Obama would not support suspending the gas tax even if it was balanced with a tax on the windfall profits of oil companies. There's no way that the implication was unintentional.

Barack Obama needs to show a little backbone here, and hit her hard over her pandering and dishonesty.

LeroyS,

You mean that Senator Clinton isn't a Republican?!?

Damn, I woulda never have know.

McCain-Clinton '08

.

Re: "It sounds like a good idea until you read about it." That's true, but you are a rational human being, one who can weigh the cost to society vs. personal benefit.

How many voters will see through this is unknowable but Obama needs to hit Hillary hard on this one, for the sheer irresponsibility and weakness of it all.

This is such a phoney issue. The gas tax pays for roads and repairs. If it goes, infrastructure decays and 300,000 road workers lose their jobs this summer. What a fraud Senator Clinton sometimes is. I suggest she drives up 88 from Binghamton to Albany before you demagogue this issue. The potholes and ruts are enormous. It's the oil companies profits that are causing this -- not the frigging gas tax. That is returned to us in road repairs and jobs! What a bad idea.

So I guess my dream that we could have election that actually looked at the long term course of the country is pretty much shot.

Instead, we'll talk about a nonsensical gas tax holiday, that won't even by in effect any more by November.

It's hard to avoid the conclusion that this country deserves the shitty shitty government that we recieve.

Would be nice if there was a debate that we could bring this up at...

And we are to believe that this "gas tax holiday" is going to see those savings passed on to the consumer? Sure, and the surge is working too. The likelihood of these savings being passed onto the consumers is about the same as Hillary taking sniper fire on the way to her limo tonight. More opportunity for the oil lobby to make big bucks, and then grease the palms of Clinton and McCain to say thank you for their indentured servitude.

"At a meeting with voters in North Carolina on Monday, Mr. Obama said lifting the gas tax for three months would save the average consumer no more than $30, a figure confirmed by Congressional analysts. Mr. Obama has previously dismissed Mr. McCain’s proposal as a “scheme.”

“Half a tank of gas,” Mr. Obama told his audience. “That’s his big solution.”"

I can't wait for Obama's response add. The half tank of gas line is fantastic.

Hillary:

"If you vote for me, I will make all of your wildest dreams come true, thank you."

MSNBC is reporting that a three month moratorium on the gas tax would result in a 9 billion dollar shortfall in the highway fund and would result in 300,000 highway workers losing their jobs.

"Contrast" ad?

LOL

Can't wait until Obama's first "contrast" ad and Greggie's choice of labeling.

That should be a real contrast.

Did I forget to add...

Clinton is the best choice if you want a Democrat in the White House.

Hillary is giving us an excellent example of her leadership. With the nations transportation infrastructure failing, she proposes to cut the primary resource for funds to repair highways and brdiges. She is pandering for votes, not talking straight about the consequences of an over-consuming society and the need to sacrafice.

It is one more example of the type of judgment she exercised in voting for war in Iraq: not weighing what the evidence tells her and what is best for the nation, but weighing what is expedient and best for Hillary Clinton.

Enough. We need a leader. Hillary is not a leader.

People are stupid. They actually fall for this political ploy played by typical politicians to win an election. Gas Tax Holiday is worthless. I can't believe Hillary and John think we are stupid enough to fall for it...oh wait most people are that stupid.

Eighteen cents a gallon? That's your idea of a fix, Hillary? Okay, now what is it that keeps the oil companies from filling that eighteen cent a gallon void and tacking on another twenty five cents a gallon, just to show that they can?

In the meantime, you'll be pulling $9 billion out of the funds that should go to fixing our crumbling infrastructure and putting 300,000 people out of work. Good thinkin', Hil. You and McBush make a great team.

Here's an idea. While you're out there touring all those many states that you were born and raised in, take a look down from time to time and check out the condition of the roads and bridges. Think about the people who have to drive those things every day to get to and from work. Be sure to tell your supporters, while you're pandering your ass off to them, that you'd like to make those roads and bridges far more dangerous than they already are.

One problem fogu. Clinton knows the gas "holiday" only goes through without the oil companies being taxed to compensate. She's a phoney-baloney with this one. But what can you say about a woman who owns two mansions, only flies on a private jet (in fairness Obama now also has a charter but with her it's a way of life) and whose daughter works for one of the filthiest, richest hedge funds in the world, courtesy of her mmam and dad's contacts.

Clinton is the best choice if you want a Democrat in the White House.

Oh, did she switch parties? When did that happen?

Hillary's head on a chicken.

Quick calculation:

320,500,000 gallons of gas used per day (source: http://www.gravmag.com/oil.html)
x
120 days in summer
x
18 cents tax per gallon
=
$7 BILLION

Not exactly an insignificant amount of money to take from the oil companies and give back to the people.

The gas tax holiday was a ridiculous idea when McCain proposed it, and it's no more intelligent now that Hillary has climbed on the band wagon.

It's not going to keep gas prices from rising. The era of cheap gas is over and the sooner we get used to it and start conserving gas the better. It will deprive the government of money that's desparately needed to sustain and rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. And, any savings is likely to be eaten up, especially if the losses the holiday causes are going to be offset by increased taxes on the oil industry. Who does Hillary think is ultimately going to pay those increased taxes?

The season of silly political pandering has begun. Kudos to Obama for having the balls not to support the gas tax holiday for the sake of political expediency.

Why not just return all taxes and fees to the people? We can shut down the US government and let free enterprise step up to fill the void. Businesses always do a better job of taking care of people than government. It's in a businesses best interest to be a >a href="http://www.thecorporation.com/">good citizen, right?

no

The Dollar is becoming worthless because nothing is manufactured here anymore. That is why we have to import almost everything. We have nothing to sell in return. That is why we are running an every growing balance of trade, and then having to borrow that money from China to run up huge trade and budget deficits.

By the end of this year, America will be in an economic Depression similar to the Dust Bowl era, and we have no manufacturing base left to work ourselves out of it.

The dollar is becoming so devalued in exchange rates, that by this time next year, Gasoline will be at least $6.00 per gallon at the pump. Ask Hillary what she plans to do about that, instead of treating people like children with her highway tax suspension that she will have to collect from you later in one form or another.

Now then let's REALLY talk about the economy, taxes, and energy policy.

Breaking: Hillary proposes trees that grow scratch lottery tickets instead of leaves.

We all know why she is going this route. Everyone who is apart of this blog, to some degree, follows politics and policy, and the effects they have. Hillary knows this is only minor treatment to a big symptom of middle and lower class America feeling their pocketbooks tight, and that it won't do a damn thing. She is appealing to the passions of the mass of mundane people who get their political news from her bullshit adds, and she knows it. Thats the game she's playing. Same with McCain. One year he is about decent politics, and now he is tying Obama to Hamas.

All people are going to see with this suspended gas tax, is "free money" and their gonna blow a load all over their pants. Its unfortunate that its going to play in her favor.

Wages are stagnant. Too large a portion of those wages already goes to the high price of gas. Giving back eighteen cents per gallon is a token gesture. It will still leave the cost of gas too high and that doesn't just affect commuters. It affects the cost of everything that's delivered by truck.

This idea that we're going to get the money back from the oil companies that we're pulling out of our gas tax revenue is just wishful thinking. There's no connection between the two. And there's nothing that keeps the oil companies from jacking up their prices to recoup anything they may have lost to windfall profits taxes.

If you're so sold on the idea that windfall profits taxes will restore the lost revenue from the gas tax holiday, pass the windfall profits tax first. If you can get it to pass, THEN apply that revenue to the highway trust fund.

Bottom line: Hillary's blowing smoke up voters' butts. She thinks they're idiots and can be bought off so cheaply. It's obvious who's elitist and condescending.

Doesn't anybody realize that the "Federal Gasoline Tax" is imposed on refiners and importers basis their production and imports less exports of gasoline. What McCain and Clinton are saying is that refiners can stop sending checks to the Treasury for June, July and August. This is not like a state sales tax holiday where the tax is not added to your purchase and the retailer does not have to pay the state. The gasoline retailer does not know or care if the tax is in the price he pays.

Another TAX BREAK FOR THE OIL INDUSTRY.

I might think this proposal is cynical but I believe our politicians are too stupid for that.

Breaking:

Hillary proposes temporary suspension of Federal Taxes on Band-Aids, to help gunshot victims.

"So if she steals the nomination I'll feel no remorse at all for voting for Nader and rat-f*cking her and her obnoxious ass supporters into history's dustbin."

Posted by LeroyS

And you've recruited a lot of Clinton supporters to return the favor, Leroy.

Are you saving your other foot to shoot at a different time?

And "steals the nomination"? WTF? Did Barry reach 2025 when I wasn't looking?

I really hope Obama's team hits back quickly with ads that show how loony Clinton's economic ideas are.

Considering how smart she is, I'm surprised that she would support such proposals. You know, I'm starting to get the impression that winning is more important to her than doing what she knows to be right...

And how exactly will Hillary Clinton implement her gas tax "holiday" in time for this summer? Even if she joined forces with John McCain, there is no way that it would pass the legislative hurdles and might even inspire a Presidential veto.

This pandering proposal is exactly what the nation does not need - we need a real energy policy that will encourage research and production of renewable and cleaner sources of energy. We do not need an artificial and temporary price control measure during the period of peak demand. Hillary and McCain's hare brained idea will simply increase the profits for the oil companies by increasing demand further. That's insane economics and will ultimately hurt the very consumers paying the modest fixed rate tax. The fact is that this is just a bullshit distraction - because that's all she has got at this stage.

Hillary is revealing herself as the most power hungry and craven politician in a generation. She has the real potential to exceed Nixon in her deviousness. We have had ample warning to beware of letting Clinton back into the executive branch.

McCain....Clinton....can someone remind me again which one is supposed to be the Democrat?