Fox News' Sly Distortion Of Obama On Gas Prices

MOMocrat Jaelithe throws a wrench into the Fox News spin cycle, reporting on a sly distortion of a statement by Barack Obama regarding the high price of gas.

MOMocrats recently received an interesting email from the McCain campaign, entitled "FOX -- Obama says sky high gas prices a good thing." The email quoted this exchange from the Fox News Channel, between Fox News pundit Shephard Smith and Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

SHEPARD SMITH: Could sky high gas prices actually be a good thing? A top Republican is going after Barack Obama saying that he suggested just that. Obama is saying that the problem isn't that prices are too high, just that they shot up too quickly. He told CNBC today "if we take some steps right now to help people make the adjustment than I think ultimately we can come out of this stronger and have a more energy efficient policy than we do right now." Well, the top Republican in the Senate having a field day with that statement.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL: The position outlined by the Democratic nominee shouldn't a surprise to most Americans given that Washington Democrats have repeatedly refused to allow increased energy production here at home - even though as we all know increase supply leads to lower prices.

SMITH: Senator McConnell saying it is like they're going out of their way to keep gas prices from going down. So far, no response from the Obama camp. We'll get it to you when it comes in.

Sounds like the McCain camp just struck campaign trail gold, right? Obama caught saying that the current record high gas prices are a good thing? When so many hard-working Americans are suffering, struggling to pay their fuel bills?

Trouble is, it's not true. The Obama quote Smith used was edited and taken out of context. And Smith's and McConnell's characterization of what Obama said recently during an interview with CNBC's John Harwood is simplistic and misleading. Here's what Obama actually said:

HARWOOD: So could these high prices help us?

Sen. OBAMA: I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment. The fact that this is such a shock to American pocketbooks is not a good thing. But if we take some steps right now to help people make the adjustment, first of all by putting more money into their pockets, but also by encouraging the market to adapt to these new circumstances more quickly, particularly US automakers, then I think ultimately, we can come out of this stronger and have a more efficient energy policy than we do right now.

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Comments

[nanapat]

why am I not surprise that this came out of Shephard Smith .. Faux News fire this jerk.. Couldn't stand him so I stopped watching..

[schicklett3]

Typical Fox News lies and untruths. They are a poor excuse for a news station.

[FilthyPerson]

Sorry, but the attempt to whitwwash Obama's statement failed.
He said what he said and there's no mistaking it..

HARWOOD: So could these high prices help us?

Sen. OBAMA: I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment.

Then he went on to say how it's a shock to the pocketbook and that's a bad thing.
He doesn't say the high prices are a bad thing but he'll help us get used to it.
Face it, this guy sees no problem with prices being this high.

You'd better take a good long look at this character. He's way over his head.

[elbowguts]

Yeah, if Obama had any experience he would just wave his magic gas price wand and make prices lower.

WTF is wrong with Americans that so many think they have a god-given right to cheap gas? We're only just now catching up to the prices Europeans have been paying for over a decade.

So, Mr. or Ms. FilthyPerson.... What *should* Obama have said about gas prices?

This Republican idea that gas would be cheap again if those damn green freaks would just let us drill again is pure fantasy. Anyone with even the slightest understanding of the economic forces at work would know that.

[FilthyPerson]

I don't know if you'll be back, but here you go ...

Here are Obama's words of wisdom re gas prices.

Letting citizens keep $.38 a day in Federal gas tax is peanuts ... and it is.
But it would vary with usage so $.38/day is false.
Yet oil company profit per gallon is far less than the Federal Tax, and the Federal government didn't do anything to create that gallon of gas.
Are oil company profits peanuts?

So if the suspension of the Federal gas tax is nothing, what's Obama's solution?
Obama declared his $1000 tax cut for the middle class is the answer.
That's less than $2.75 a day. And that's fixed at $2.75.
So $2.75 a day is a world of difference?

So ... what else does the boy genius have to solve the problem?
Well, he said there's only a couple of things to do, use less and use alternative fuels.
Yeah, we can use less.
But no, we can't make up for oil with alternative fuels any time soon and there seems to be a worldwide food shortage now that we're trying.

But did he even mention drilling for more where we can?
Of course not.
He's a politician afraid of certain constituent groups.

He's either a fool or he thinks you are.

[FilthyPerson]

And if you think introducing 1M barrels of oil a day into the market wouldn't do anything you have an issue with Chuck Schumer who said if the Saudis did it the prices would drop by close to $.70/gallon. Of course he doesn't believe the 1M barrels a day out of ANWR would help, but he's a partisan hypocrite. He must believe the ANWR oil is not combustible.

[SMP]

I can not wait till President Obama..... SHUTS FOX NEWS DOWN.....permenatly!!!! Limbaugh too


Rep spin machines...............GOOD BYE

[candycane]

Does Mr. Obama have a problem with freedom of speech? Do you?

[conservatoire]

Enough of this absurd "free speech" argument! Yes, we may all be allowed to say whatever is on our mind, but that doesn't keep certain people from spouting drivel and when they do, they should be called on it. Being called out as incorrect and labeled as a fabricator of information, is NOT stifling free speech. It is calling BULLSHIT on clear unadulterated BULLSHIT.

So, I put it out there to all the right-wingers who would try to use this as a "gotcha", If I started going out and saying that George Bush conducts Satanic rituals in the wee hours of the morning because I had heard that that is when he gets up and exercises (exorcises), you would call it for what it is...BULLSHIT!...and you would be correct for doing so.

Obama did not say what Smith and McConnell are attributing to him. They have distorted the words and taken them out of context, and they are rightly having BULLSHIT called on them. This is not a free speech issue.

[NorVaGal]

Freedom of speech is not the problem. FOX News' freedom to lie is a serious problem. They should be called on EVERY lie and forced to retract, renounce, reject, and apologize for each and every lie they promote.

[nanapat]

not when the word's you are speaking are the truth and have not been edited to suit the person spewing them..

[RJII]

Boycott Murdoch publications and media and any companies that advertise and do other business w/ Murdoch.

[Fathoms]

I Second that call and practice what I preach.