Clinton, Obama Battle Over 'Gas Tax Holiday'

Both of the would-be Democratic nominees found themselves all over the morning shows today, and the small-bore issue of a "gas tax holiday" continued to loom large in the conversation, with Clinton standing in support of the policy and Obama hitting back against it.

The two appeared in rapid succession on the Today Show, and this matter ended up being the central issue each discussed. Senator Hillary Clinton, naturally, was unable to explain how inducing demand for a finite commodity would not, in this one instance, lead to the price of that commodity increasing, as one learns in basic economics, so she talked up the angle of how she proposes to "pay for it," whatever that means.

[WATCH.]

VIEIRA: Let me talk to you about suspending the gas tax, because there's apparently no economist that says that it's a good policy. And let's say you're asked if you could name a single credible economist that supports you, and you said "I'm not going to put in my lot with economists." You call that elite opinion. Are you saying if you were president, you would not seek the counsel of any economist?

CLINTON: Oh, no, of course not, Meredith. But you know, I know very well that they're worried about it not being paid for, but I have proposed a way to pay for it, and that is --

VIEIRA: But they're saying it's not a good idea. They're not worrying about that, they're saying it's not sound policy.

CLINTON: No, I disagree with that. I fundamentally disagree with that, and you know, it's something that I have looked at before, and I did not believe we should do it unless we could pay for it. But throughout this campaign, I have said we've got to take on the oil companies. They've been given so many tax breaks. I voted against Dick Cheney's energy bill in 2005 that gave them even more. My opponent voted for it. What we've got to start doing is standing up for Main Street.

By comparison, Senator Barack Obama faced a far chummier and accomodating form of interrogation from Matt Lauer, but Lauer did manage to pose the question of the gas tax in the weirdes way possible, asking "What's wrong with even a little relief, even if it's largely symbolic to ease in a minor way the financial and perhaps even more in a major way the emotional strain that some people are feeling right now?" Maybe it was because the question was so inane that Obama briefly and incorrectly referred to Lauer as Tim Russert.

[WATCH.]

LAUER: Let's talk about gas prices, and you've been critical of Senator Clinton for her call to end or ease the federal gas tax for at least the summer months. I think you've called it a gimmick and pandering and said that it really won't bring much relief. I'm just curious, what's wrong with even a little relief, even if it's largely symbolic to ease in a minor way the financial and perhaps even more in a major way the emotional strain that some people are feeling right now?

OBAMA: Well, Tim, first of all, it's not me who's criticized these proposals. There is not a single economist or editorial that I've read that says that this is a good idea, and the reason is, is because it's not being honest with the American people. People don't need symbolic relief, they need real relief, and if you're saying that you're going to at best provide 30 cents a day for three months for a grand total of $28, but in fact, it's likely that the oil companies, when that gas tax is suspended, in fact, the gas companies just raise their rates by the same amount, so they are the ones who end up benefiting, that's not real relief, and I know, because we tried this in Illinois, and that's exactly what happened. The retailers and the gas companies did fine. Consumers didn't see it. And so we stopped the program.

LAUER: I just want to say, I know you've had a very long week, and so have I. You're saying Tim. It's Matt Lauer. But believe me, I completely understand --

OBAMA: Matt, I'm sorry.

LAUER: We've both had a long week, believe me.

OBAMA: I apologize.

Critically, the one person who's left out of this conversation - and the scrutiny - is John McCain, the candidate who proposed this idiotic idea in the first place.

Comments

[ExPatriot70]

what a joke, enough to buy a six pack and a bag of chips maybe., Do somethng that means something,do something to bring the $ back that will help bring down the oil price.

[citizenofmars]

Hillary is EIGHT BELLES..

[davemcd]

If she doesn't get it done by the Convention then she should resign from the race is disgrace :^)

After all: she's a fighter and will work for the american people to get them what they need. Right?

She can use this political promise as a validation of her ability to:
work across the aisle
take on oil companies interests
take her "mandate" to the White House and dare GWB to veto her gift to the working man

Or... we can wait two weeks and she'll "Move On".

[Matt7]

Interestingly enough it was again a COMEDIAN (enne), Whoopi Goldberg ,who perceptively noted

today that, uhhh presidential CANDIDATES cannot do a darned thing to enact legislation for tax relief

in Indiana for the summer of 2008.

H E L L O !?!

[kathyhussien]

More from DocStrangelove.com:
Here is President Clinton at a press conference in 2000 explaining that a gas tax holiday would not pass the savings to the consumer:

Q. Mr. President, in light of the fact that OPEC has decided to increase production, do you see it as a mistake for the Senate to proceed with a bill that would suspend the gas tax? And if it reached your desk, would you veto it?

A. Well, I don"t expect it to reach my desk because there seems to be bipartisan opposition to it in the House, including among the leadership. But the problem I have with it, apart from what it might do to the Highway Trust Fund and the spending obligations that have already been incurred by the acts of Congress, the budgets, is that I"m not sure that the savings would be passed along to the consumers in addition to that. So I think there are a lot of questions about it. But I don"t expect it to pass.

[kathyhussien]

Of course, in 2000, Hillary opposed her gas tax plan too. (In all fairness, it's John McCain's gas tax plan. Hillary simply stole it.) Does she really think that, were she to steal the nomination, the GOP wouldn't have a field with "Hillary is a flip-flopping liar" ads in the fall? On issue after issue, from guns to NAFTA to this gas tax, Hillary shifts her position with each new poll, hoping voters won't notice that all of her previous positions contradict her current one. People aren't stupid. They're going to figure out that Hillary appears to lie about everything. I mean, she's got enough baggage already. Half the public already hates her, then she's going to have to deal with the Republicans bringing up Monica and all of Hillary's own scandals, like Whitewater and the cattle futures. And now she's branding herself a serial liar. This isn't the definition of electable. It's the definition of a train wreck.

[wbwbruce]

On issue after issue, from guns to NAFTA to this gas tax, Hillary shifts her position with each new poll, hoping voters won't notice that all of her previous positions contradict her current one. (People aren't stupid )They're going to figure out that Hillary appears to lie about everything. I mean, she's got enough baggage already.


(People aren't stupid)

Care to make a Bet.

[jhink465]

Hillary better get off her fat arse and get some legislation rolling if we are going to get a gas tax holiday. Memorial Day is just three weeks away. Maybe she can propose it as emergency legislation to get it fast tracked through congress and to Bush's desk for signoff. Anybody think she can get that done?

[Oldbuck]

Some more empty promises Clinton can not deliver on this and she know it but this is like the war she voted for which she has never owned up to. She want give up this bull shit ideal. We have had this kind of attitude for the last seven year and I for one am tired of it.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

The gas tax holiday, saving the american family $28.00

Think of all the things you can do with that $28.00. You can still buy some slim jims. Get coke from a vending machine, oder a 28 cheeseburgers from the dollar menu at McDonalds. Buy your new born baby a can of Similac or Isomil or whatever your baby eats (yes it costs that much). You can get a pack of baby diapers (note: if you get the pack of diapers you cannot get the baby formula - its one or the other, no sense in spoiling your child).

[TxAggie]

The gas tax is chcken feed. Hilary could offer to share the federal royalties with the masses. As the price of oil has increased so has the value of the royalties the fed gov receives..Now that is a windfall. Speaking of windfall profits taxes- the tax proposed is a commodity tax, not a tax on profits. Could someone answer the basic question of how "sticking it to the oil companies" by increasing taxes will result in lower gas prices to the consumer?

The answer is it will lower production and increase prices. Could one of you greenies answer that question truthfully?

[thymetwo]

What scares me is that some people will actually vote for her because of this and by the end of summer when they realize it isn't going to happen there is NO WAY Bush will allow the tax on the oil companies to cover it there is NO WAY that Republicans would have a sudden turn around and overrun his veto so why are the press even giving this positive coverage. It's lie another of Hilary's many lies. What does it say about us that we would rather be lied to then told the truth. I've gotten to the point that if superdelegates do over turn Obama's win I just won't vote. Not for Hilary or any down ticket. If lies and pandering is all people want, we don't deserve any better.

[mammaboy]

" Obama briefly and incorrectly referred to Lauer as Tim Russert."

He called him Tim three times in the interview before Matt finally corrected him. That ain't briefly, that's stoned.

[08timefortruth]

Maybe he was trying to make a point because Lauer and Russert ask the same irrelevant questions so what difference does it make who he's talking to, it's all the same old crap...

[jah2008]

They're both the same videos of Obama. Please fix it Huff Post. Thank you.

[obamagramma]

How is a Gas Tax Holiday THIS summer - 2008 - even possible ???

Neither she nor McCain will be elected. The election is NOVEMBER 2008 !!
But they are BOTH claiming the proposal for THIS summer.
By next summer (2009) I want a more comprehensive solution than a 3 month holiday.
It is pure primary pandering.
Why can't anyone call them on the summer of 2008 lie ?

[ObamaEdwards]

Clinton thinks she can buy our goodwill with $30. That's how much each of us will save over the whole summer. And the resulting increased demand for gas will drive the price up! THIS is how Clinton would govern. She panders, but only so much, and her pandering serves no one. It costs us more, in the end. Reckless, irrational, and foolish.

[dumboldfarmer]

There is no way under the sun she could get her "tax holiday" passed this summer or even until after January of next year. That's not "taking on" oil companies. This is just simple pandering, or worse, trying to buy votes with a non-existent reward.