Bush Now Says He'd Consider A 'Gas-Tax Holiday'

Every once in a while, we get a reminder of how badly the Bush White House is in need of an actual policy apparatus to keep any of their ideas tethered to the real world. After specifically staking out a position opposed to the "gas tax holiday" that John McCain has proposed and that Hillary Clinton supports, President Bush spun today like a weathervane in a headwind, swiveling to a new position on the matter. And now, the President has made it clear: he's not not against the "gas tax holiday."

President Bush on Tuesday accused the Democratic-led Congress of blocking his proposals to deal with rising gas prices and dragging its feet on measures to address the sagging economy. He said he was ''open to any ideas,'' including a proposal backed by presidential contenders John McCain and Hillary Clinton to suspend gas and diesel taxes this summer.

Bush still has plenty of older, worse ideas that he supports as well, such as that hoary non-starter "let's drill up the ANWR" thing he proposed a million years ago. But despite the fact that he's stuck either recycling old policy proposals or plagiarizing new ones, Bush knows precisely who is to blame: the Congress.

''I believe that they're letting the American people down, is what I believe,'' he said. ''It's either a lack of leadership or a lack of understanding of the issue. And either way, it's not good for the country.''

In other words, "Hurry up and fix this stuff, Congress! My approval ratings are circling the drain! I did a game show the other night and I had to agree to be billed as 'and starring George W. Bush as No Deal!'"

''If there was a magic wand to wave, I'd be waving it, of course." And then we could all ride to work on unicorns.

Comments

[w8aminute]

If Bush supports it - it must be a stupid BS idea.

[Vern58]

Look carefully at the supporters of this idea- Mc Same, the Chimp in Charge and Hillary Rodham Clinton? Why not see this for what it is- as a diversion tactic. Robbing our Highway Funding is not going to help us but , and this is the optimistic picture, but $25 a year, while robbing the Highway Fund $305 billion- that is Billion dollars. Have you driven the Interstate Highway system lately?

[TrueIndy08]

WOW... a dumb idea supported by the world's dumbest guy!!! Why am I not shocked???

[offred]

We need to have an independent audit of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve before Bush and Cheney flee the country. I wouldn't put it past the SOBs to have skimmed tons of it and sold it to their oil company buddies.

[homas]

So the MBA oilman has no ideas on how to help the American consumer.

I'm shocked I tell you. Shocked!

But the oil companies and our "buddies" the House of Saud are sure happy as pigs in poop!

Boy did the American (Republikkkan) voters get what they deserved!

But let's talk about Reverand Wright and flag pins.

[offred]

I'm going to buy a flag pin and start wearing it upside down, the universal symbol for distress.

[johnie2xs]

Why don't we do what we have to do. To get rid of Bush, all we have to do is release the proverbial "Sh*t eating dog" of joke lore. As far as that other Darth Vader SOB, it's just as easy. At an agreed upon, and pre-determined time, every body in the country will turn on their microwave. Problem solved. ALL GONE!

[WorkingClass]

I really like the way you think.

[rudyacuna]

This is ridiculous. Why not have the gas companies contribute their profits and ceo's their salaries for summer?

[wolf58]

Well there ya go, if Bush is considering it it must be crap. Just like him.

[rikkirighteous]

The only one against it is Obama.

Now, who's out of touch with people?

[liberalghost]

Ummm, how many bridges do you cross in a given day?

What is your plan when oil goes up another $60/barrel?

Don't feel too stupid; after all, you have "righteous" as part your name. THAT! sez a lot about you.

[bos123]

You are!!!!

[PoliticalEnnui]

Maybe, but clearly Bush, McCain, and Clinton are out of touch with reality. Even the government's own accountants agree that this would save the average tax payer $30-$40 over all, while short changing our highway/infrastructure funding to the tune of more than $2 billion. If you still think this "Gas Tax Holiday" is a good idea, I have a bridge in Minnesota to sell you.

[wanked]

A cheap tank of gas, AND $600 to pay off debt!!!!! It doesn't get any better than THAT!

[thegreatgiginthesky]

Where is a good bout of pneumonia when you need it?

[denlong]

Yeah! saving me $2 on my $50 tank of gas is REALLY going to help !

[JRandomPoster]

My money is on it happening.

Why? Well, it is good for the Oil Companies.

The scenario that I envision is this: the gas tax is dropped for a while. The oil companies, during the time the gas tax "holiday" is in effect, will incrementally raise the price of gas to where it is now, or above that, blaming market forces. The the gas tax goes into effect again, and people will blame the tax, when in reality, they will have been further gouged by the oil companies.

Of course, this scenario is bad for folks who need to drive to work, take care of their kids, etc. But enough lipstick is being applied to the pig that many people will in the end blame "big government" and "too many taxes."

It is also bad in the long term as it is one more delay in the funding of finding truly viable energy alternatives, and investing in conservation.

[PlanetKansas]

Don't drink the Kool-Aid.

The federal gasoline tax is $0.18 a gallon and is used exclusively for highway, and transportation. It is the rarest of federal taxes because the US Highway Fund is solvent and doesn't use deficit spending like the rest of the government.

The feds use a formula to redistribute the Highway Fund and fund up to 90% of the state highways, matched with their own state fuel taxes. This is a rare case of the tax matching the benefit, and we are getting a very good deal, and our transportation infrastructure actually needs more financing instead of tax cuts.

Saving $0.18 a gallon wil only reduce prices at the pump $2-$3 per fill-up. Gas prices went up this high in the past week!

[djthedj]

Of course he's for it, it will help bankrupt America and that's what W is all about!

[liberalghost]

Oh-oh, someone else using logic. You *ARE* being monitored (you didn't really think we're wasting all that computing power on tracking terrorists, didja).

[theyak]

Spare me the gas tax holiday talk. Quit the damn saber rattling in the Middle East, quit supporting coups in Venezuela. The "risk premium" in the futures market vastly exceeds the 18 cents a gallon tax. Install chips in all cars, recording and updating MPG. And install readers in gas pumps. The lower the mileage, the higher the tax per gallon. Issue receipts and for business vehicles, the receipts will be filed with quarterly taxes. make the people responsible for the increased demand pay for it, rather than being subsidized by those who drive a high mileage car. The same for power boats. Let "conspicuous consumption" become more expensive. The average American has to buy the stuff to get to work and back home and shouldn't have to subsidize "pleasure and ego" profligacy.

[liberalghost]

DAMNATION, another poster using logic. STOP IT or all our problems might get solved.

Pssst....we could use the same logic with electricity. a low price for the minimum power use to maintain the average household....and ramp it up for "power users." But let's not spread it around.

[jfor]

A gas tax holiday is all the President a graduate of Yale and Harvard can do? Come on doesn't the prez have an MBA? What a joke I am sending my kids to community college.

[liberalghost]

Heh, you think the doofus actually attended classes? But...the Harvard business model does really suck. So even if he attended classes, it wouldn't have helped much.

[poco767]

Why bother fixing a broken system when we can have a string gimmick solutions.