I think (and I could be way wrong as commodity trading isn't my strong suit) that the dollar devaluation is only exacerbating our problem. But, the rise in oil price is Global, not just regional or national.
Yes, in the rest of the world oil is up about 10% over the last 3 months... Here in the US it’s up 25%. The dollar’s been sliding, and that’s been the biggest driver of the cost of gasoline here.
Obama will get his $5/gallon of gas by just devaluing the dollar! No taxes needed...