COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. — The RNC is up with a Web ad attacking Sen. Barack Obama for his position on the gas tax. Both Republican Sen. John McCain and Sen. Hillary Clinton want to suspend the tax for the summer, and Obama is getting hit from both sides.
Here's the script:
Gas prices today are at an all time high.
American families and small business feel the burden each day.
Barack Obama says that he doesn't have a short-term plan.
Obama: "I would be dishonest if I said we've got a lot of short-term answers to bringing down gas prices. I don't think we do." (3/31/08)
Yet, gas tax relief "could save motorists $6.8 billion in taxes during the summer." (USA Today, 4/16/08)
What does Barack Obama think?
Obama: "A three-month tax holiday is a bad idea." (4/21/08)
Obama: "It's a gimmick that's been tried before." (4/28/08)
Obama: "This is one of John McCain's latest schemes." (4/26/08)
But as an Illinois state senator he voted FOR gas tax relief. (Illinois State Senate, S.B. 1310, 3/8/00)
Barack Obama just doesn't get it. Does he understand our economy, and what American families and businesses need?
Barack Obama.
Out of touch.
Not ready to be President.
Clinton has her own ad targeting his opposition to her idea, one which I saw played at least 6 times between 11 p.m. and midnight on local TV last night:
That prompted this response from Obama:
Obama is speaking to seniors at a small forum here right now and weighed in again on the gas tax issue.
"This is a gimmick and this is what Washington does whenever there's a problem," he said. "They don't really solve it."
"Senator Clinton thought it was going to poll well," he said. "Now it's the McCain-Clinton proposal to suspend the gas tax. You know what really burns me up? … Clinton's own advisers admitted it won't really help … [but it is] good politics because since Obama is opposed to it, it might make him look bad."
On a similar topic, Stephen Dinan has a story in today's paper about the debate over ethanol.
— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times
