Running on Fumes
Clinton, Obama both mislead with ads promising gas price relief.
Summary
Late-inning ads by both Clinton and Obama in the run-up to the Democratic primaries in Indiana and North Carolina focus on Clinton's gas tax holiday proposal. But the ads are also misleading.
Clinton's ad claims motorists would save $8 billion during her summer "holiday," not mentioning that no economists agree with her. She herself didn't name one when asked in a weekend tv interview.
Obama's ad accuses Clinton of "pandering" to voters, then ticks through the elements of his plan -- leaving aside the fact that Clinton's plan includes each of those elements as well.
Obama's $1,000 tax credit for families is made to sound as though it was designed to offset rising gas prices. It actually dates back to last fall, when he proposed it as part of his tax plan.
Analysis
Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama go down to the wire fighting about her "gas tax holiday" plan as Indiana and North Carolina voters prepare to cast their ballots. A little correcting and contextualizing is called for.
Don't Pack Your Bags Just Yet
Hillary Clinton 2008 Ad: "Gas Tax"
Female:
Gas prices are so high.
Male:
It's hard to decide between a gallon of milk and a gallon of gas.
Narrator:
Hillary's fighting to use the windfall profits of big oil to pay to suspend the gas tax this summer and save families $8 billion.
Narrator:
Barack Obama says that's just pennies. He'd make you keep paying that tax instead of big oil.
On screen graphic: Obama would make you keep paying that tax. WSJ.com, 4/21/08
Narrator: Hillary will make the oil companies invest in clean energy and bring gas prices down for good. Relief for today. Bold solutions for tomorrow.
Clinton: I'm Hillary Clinton and I approved this message.
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Member Comments
Posted By: sebr01stl @ 05/13/2008 11:58:09 PM
Comment: After all, he called his a PERMANENT relief to middle class families. And permanent is hardly ever IMMEDIATE; (so it most likely wouldn't do anything about this summer). It could go for gas, groceries, healthcare, or whatever the family chooses. None of them 9including McCain) has found anything IMMEDIATE THAT WORKS that will lower fuel prices at the pump. Even Bush (scary) recently said one of the "smartest" things that I've ever heard come out of his mouth, regarding this very thing. The also scary thing is that both HRC and McCain suported a gas tax holiday (Democrat and Republican, rather than Democart VS. Republican), while the other Democrat opposed it (not along party lines). HRC should more resemble the other Democrat Obama (as she does in the rest of her general policy platform) than McCain. It is no surprise that their policies are very similar across the board; it's as it should be: both are Democrats. Their policies SHOULD contrast more sharply with the Republican's than with each other's. Yet, HRC also sounds like McCain on "nuke Iran" comments.
Posted By: sebr01stl @ 05/13/2008 11:41:18 PM
Comment: I usually follow whatever factcheck.org has to say, but they've erred on this one. Obama never said that his general $1000 tax relief (like our stimulus checks) was a specific GAS tax relief, only that HRC's was political pandering, and would only save about $30 over the course of the summer (and this is if should could get it passed by then).
Posted By: 4carol @ 05/07/2008 3:37:55 PM
Comment: Alabama:
You obviously haven't thought this through!! There would be plenty of jobs lost with this so-called gas tax relief. These taxes pay for the road, bridge and highway construction all over the country. Many of these workers would be laid off which is just adding to our already growing unemployment!!!!