Posted on 03/06/2012 1:45:26 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
CBS News) President Obama on Tuesday scoffed at the notion he wants higher gas prices, as some of his critics claim.
Asked about the charge at his first formal White House press conference of the year, Mr. Obama replied to Fox News correspondent Ed Henry's question with a question of his own.
"From a political perspective, do you think the president of the United States going into re-election wants gas prices to go up higher? Is there anybody here who thinks that makes a lot of sense?"
Presidents of both parties have historically considered it harder to get votes if gas prices rise in the months before an election.
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich last month said on CBS This Morning that Mr. Obama "of course" wants gas prices to rise in order to push people to move to alternative energy sources.
In addition to the political reasons for lower gas prices, Mr. Obama noted that he wants them to help the economy.
"I meet folks every day who have to drive a long way to get to work and filling up this gas tank gets more and more painful and it's a tax out of their pocketbooks," he said. "When gas prices go up consumer spending often pulls back. We're in the midst of a recovery starting to build steam, and we don't want to reverse it."
Today's press conference gave Mr. Obama a moment in the media spotlight on a day that would have otherwise belonged to Mr. Gingrich and his Republican rivals -- 10 states are holding their Republican nominating contests today in what's known as "Super Tuesday."
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
and huge 1974-syle lines at the gas pumps for what little gas there would be.
Government is never the economic answer. Government is always the economic problem.
All that “high gas prices are good for the economy” stuff ain’t working, eh, 0?
Also wondering why you’re deciding now is a good time to end the Afghanistan war.
ANYONE believing what 0 says is a sucker.
The only way Obama would conceive of lowering gasoline prices would be if he could tax crude oil twice as much.
Just like he believes in traditional marriage.
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