Running on Fumes

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In a nutshell, Clinton and Obama are offering nearly identical energy plans. Both imply that price gouging is partially responsible for rising prices without providing adequate proof that price gouging is actually occurring and both want oil companies to help fund research into alternative energy. And neither candidate has a short-term plan that will, in fact, help families cope with rising gas costs.

The gas tax holiday is one of the few areas of real disagreement between the two candidates. Economists score that one for Obama.

Republished with permission from factcheck.org

Sources
Barack Obama. "Barack Obama's Plan to Make America an Energy Leader." May 2007. Barack Obama: Issues. 5 May 2008.

Barack Obama. "Family." 2007 2008. Barack Obama: Issues. 8 May 2008.

Barack Obama. "Obama on Gas Tax Holiday: A Gimmick Instead of a Real Solution." 29 April 2008. Barack Obama: News and Speeches. 5 May 2008.

Federal Trade Commission. "FTC Releases Report on its "Investigation of Gasoline Price Manipulation and Post-Katrina Gasoline Price Increases." 22 May 2006. Federal Trade Commission. 5 May 2008.

Hillary Clinton. "Clinton Offers Relief for Record Gas Prices." 14 March 2008. Hillary Clinton: Press Releases. 5 May 2008.

Hillary Clinton. "Clinton Outlines Tax Cuts For Pennsylvania Families On Fourth Day of Economic Tour." 31 March 2008. Hillary Clinton: Press Releases. 5 May 2008.

Hillary Clinton. "Powering America's Future: Hillary Clinton's Plan to Address the Energy and Climate Crisis." February 2007. Hillary Clinton: Issues. 5 May 2008.

House Select EnergyIndependence and Global Warming Committee Hearings. "Drilling for Answers on Oil and Gas Prices, Profits, and Alternatives." 1 Apr. 2008.

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Posted By: sebr01stl @ 05/13/2008 11:58:09 PM

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.
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Posted By: sebr01stl @ 05/13/2008 11:41:18 PM

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).
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Posted By: 4carol @ 05/07/2008 3:37:55 PM

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!!!!