Political bit player for the day
By Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Jason Wilfing had a good excuse when he showed up late for work today at a South Bend sheet metal fabrication plant -- he was part of the stagecraft for the first of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's four stops in Indiana.
Clinton met Wilfing and as part of the carefully orchestrated event, they drove to a service station where news cameras awaited and she picked up the $63 tab for less than a full tank of gasoline ($3.76 per gallon) for a Ford F250 pickup truck on loan from Wilfing's boss for the event.
Later, at the sheet metal plant, she again called for a summer moratorium on the 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal tax on gasoline, an idea first proposed by Republican John McCain but opposed by her Democratic rival, Barack Obama, who has called it a political gimmick that will only provide a free half-tank of gasoline to most Americans and no solution to long-term energy problems
Clinton said she will sponsor legislation seeking a temporary tax on windfall profits by the oil companies as a way to offset the resulting loss of up to $10 billion in revenue to the fund that pays for highway construction and repairs across the country. She said the suspension of the tax would provide some short-term relief, particularly to truckers and farmers, and she called for an investigation of the root causes of the skyrocketing fuel prices as part of a longer-term fix.
She has seized on the gas tax issue in the final week before crucial primaries next Tuesday in Indiana and North Carolina as a way to separate herself from Obama and as a jumping off point "to go right at the oil companies." It was Clinton's second visit to heavily Democratic South Bend in the past four days, with other scheduled stops today in Portage, Lafayette, and Kokomo.
Wilfing, a father of three from nearby Plymouth, is a member of Local 20 of the Sheet Metal Workers' Union, whose international was an early supporter of Clinton, and is an employee of Deluxe Sheet Metal Inc., whose owner, Kevin Smith, welcomed the candidate to the modern facility in an industrial park outside South Bend.
Wilfing's wife, Bobbie, met with Clinton and attended the news conference at the sheet metal plant. The couple lives on 10 acres and raises nine pigs and about 60 chickens. Now 34, she said she and her husband were never interested in politics until they followed the 2000 Florida recount controversy that resulted in the election of George W. Bush. They registered to vote shortly after that.
Of suddenly playing a bit part with her husband in a hotly contested fight for the Democratic nomination, Bobbie Wilfing said: "I'm a little nervous, but it's very exciting and it's an opportunity I would never have had otherwise."
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Running for the highest office in the nation and around the world is not easy as some might think.It's not the scrutiny from the media rather it is the honesty and trust of the people for the candidate that is at stake.whatever the outcome no none is to blame but Obama and the Revrend themselves.It is a lesson to learn for any future candidate.
Suspending the gas tax doesn't hurt the oil companies, it helps them. I agree with Sen Obama's assessment. Cheap gimmick.
Suspending the tax would have saved him $3.08 off the $63 bill, is that really going to make a big difference? Its a gimmick, its sounds good but doesn't really do anything.
no a gimmick is waiting until the Rev. Wright comes out and says something really stupid (which was going to happen sooner or later) and condemning him, instead of doing it from the start. Don’t be fooled, Obama is a pure politician.
Please...don't suspend the gas tax, if anything increase it and force people to consume less.
It may be concidered a cheap trick, it may not hurt the oil companies, and it may take money away from our government, however, we, the little people, need a break somewhere and since it's getting to a point with us older people that we either choose to pay for our morgage, our food, our medicine or gas in our car or oil in our house and not all of them - we all need a break. Cutting the taxes on the gas is a good place to start. I'm glad someone is trying to help us somehow.
A "temporary Windfall profits tax" sounds like legislation that wouldn't even be worth taking the time to write.
There is a zero percent chance of anything like that ever passing congress.
That is about as close an idea to socialism as I've ever heard.
Obama should be killing her on this plan.
Gee, Gas costs too much so we will exclusively tax the oil companies.
Shoot my cable bill is through the roof, why not whack Comcast.
Better yet, Walmart is consistently one of the most profitable companies in the world lets whack them and give the Mom and Pop shops a break.
It kills me that Clinton is really only carrying the middle class so she has resorted to gimmicks like this.
McCain is going to crush her.
Removing the gas tax will increase demand for gasoline without increasing the supply. That means the oil companies will increase the price of gasoline. Economics 101.
So, either Clinton and McCain are pandering to voters without solving the problem, or they have no grasp of basic economics. Which do you prefer?
I don't understand this "don't be fooled" nonsense. What are you saying Mike? That Obama is a politician, but Clinton and McCain are not? Geez, McCain got killed by Bush/Rove lies in 2000, supported them in 2004 and is now ripping them a new one. Clinton says something, gets called on it, says she didn't say it and then says it again and then her husband repeats the same mistake on her behalf. Yes, as the pressure has hit Obama he has come off as a bit politician-ish in the McCain/Clinton sense of the word and by definition of his job description he is a politician just like Jesse Ventura was a politician. You can't play professional baseball and be called anything but a baseball player so I'm not so sure where any of us are being fooled. The Rev Wright thing is dumb. It's a contrived press issue utilized to gain viewers in an environment when coverage of this race is 24/7 and Americans are caught up in American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. It also becomes a convenient issue for voters who can't think of anything good to say. The whole idea that this is an issue is silly, just like the 2004 same sex marriage issue was silly. Can we focus on what matters?
"Suspending the tax would have saved him $3.08 off the $63 bill, is that really going to make a big difference? Its a gimmick, its sounds good but doesn't really do anything."
-- Steve, you're absolutely right. That three bucks is much better off paying for important government programs and projects. Only our congressmen have the sort of keen business sense that is required to put that money to good use.
Never underestimate the stupidity of the American Public - politicians won't. Steve (above) did the same math that I did - we must not be the target audience - and if you figure 10 or 20 weeks of these "huge" savings that'd be a whopping $30 - $60 in "America's wallets". I think it is hilarious that she tried the stunt with a Ford F-250 averaging 15 MPG - too bad one of the "Smart" reporters hadn't thought to question if the big truck was the best prop to use.
More political pandering for votes by Clinton. Given her new partnership with the political right it's logical that she would now adopt the short sighted "tax relief policies" of the Republican party. This move would result in a 10 billion dollar budget shortfall at a time where we continue to struggle with broken bridges, broken schools and budget deficits. If this was such an important issue for her why did she not take any action through the Senate (prior to her running for office)?
I respect Republicans who advocate tax relief based on ideology and economic arguments. What I don't repect is advocating positions that you have historically disagreed with for the sole purpose of securing votes. This is classic Hillary Clinton. Obama knows opposing this is politically unfavorable yet he refuses to compromise his convictions. Which quality do you prefer in a president?
Senator Clinton is insulting everyone's intelligence by proposing that ridiculous gas tax holiday. There is no way she could really believe thats a sensible policy, it will encourage more consumption when we should be encouraging conservation. She knows this, she is just seizing on this small issue to pander to working class voters who she thinks are not sophisticated enough to understand the basic economics of it. I hope the folks in the remaining contests see this for what it is.
Either she is dumb or she thinks the voters are dumb.
Another example of politicians not thinking the problem through. Supply and demand is the driver of these oil prices. OPEC is also not pumping all of their supply which compounds the issue. There is not enough supply and plenty of demand especially from China and India.
The gas tax funds the financing of the federal highways, repair and construction. So helping Joe save $3 per tank isn't worth the reduction of funds to fix the highways.
How about a comprehensive energy policy that addresses supply and demand?
Don't expect the government to solve every problem.....
Temporarily reducing/eliminating the gas tax will have an impact across virtually every economic sector. To just think of it in terms of John Q. Taxpayer saving $0.18/gallon is misleading and completely misses the point. A redction or elimination in the tax would also help reduce the cost of groceries (via reduced overheads for farmers, truckers, etc). So not only would John Q. Taxpayer be saving a couple of bucks every time he filled up, but he would also see a slight reduction in the prices of other goods and services as well.
The idea of giving drivers a summertime "holiday" flunks basic Economics 101: http://www.cnbc.com/id/24372774
It might seem rather odd to see Hillary Clinton champion a policy whose net effect it to take money from the taxpayers and give it to ExxonMobil. But unless Sen. Clinton's goal is to temporarily boost profits for petroleum refineries and foreign producers, the idea of giving drivers a summertime "holiday" flunks basic Economics 101.
Hillary Clinton Fritens me
Lets see the IRS figure out how it would stop enforcing gas tax collection for this period. Not only is it a gimmick, that won't do much, its not even possible the government could pull this off.
The gas tax should have always been tied to the price of gas. When gas was $1.50/gallon, the federal and state gas taxes made up a large percentage of the price. Now that gas prices have more than doubled and the taxes have stayed flat, the taxes make up an increasingly smaller percentage of the amount you pay at the pump. Consider this- when gas prices pass $4.20 per gallon, the state gas tax will actually be less than the 5% sales tax would have been if it was charged instead.
Gas taxes are the most fair taxes we have around. You pay depending on how much you use. The money is needed to repair our crumbling road infrastructure. I hope nobody has forgotten the bridge collapse in Minneapolis last summer.
I responded on this same issue a couple of weeks ago & did not think that it was worth it, because once the tax break ends, I would probably save @ $22.00 x 2 for the entire summer. I, like many others that are opposed to this, did not take into account the ramifications for the Trucking industry. This could be pretty significant for them so I am waffling & now consider it a good step for the summer. I don't expect the Trucking industry to be able to pass the savings on to the consumer via lower surcharges on deliveries to the grocery & discount chain warehouses, however it may avoid increased surcharges for the period when fuel prices go up do to summer demand. If Congress can pass a temporary income tax on windfall profits that would be great to see them hit the greedy Oil companies in the pocket, although they would probably just pass it on to us, anyway
I don't understand why the media is not reporting all the fact about the presidential candidates: If we were to ask what does Peter Paul have to the with the Clinton's I only wonder what answer we would receive from the press? If we were to ask if there is a active law suit on the Clinton's what answers do you think we would get?
I look at Hillary operations of her campaign and it frightens me that she still continue to have unpaid bills. I feel she lack organizational skill and that's something a President must have! Stop being spoon fed by the media and ask your own questions.
Alistens
McCain Lies
Clinton Lies
Obama Lies
It comes down to this, which one of the three will screw me less in the end. Frankly I beleive Obama will be the best of all three and hurt me less.
INDIANAPOLIS — Hillary Clinton loves to tell the story about how the Chinese government bought a good American company in Indiana, laid off all its workers and moved its critical defense technology work to China.
It’s a story with a dramatic, political ending. Republican President George W. Bush could have stopped it, but he didn’t.
If she were president, Clinton says, she’d fight to protect those jobs. It’s just the kind of talk that’s helping her win support from working-class Democrats worried about their jobs and paychecks, not to mention their country’s security.
I wonder if it is of any interest to Indy voters that Hillary was on the board of Wal-Mart for six years? The largest union busting company in the world. She sat through years of speeches with quotes like "Unions are the biggest blood sucking leeches in the world." Hillary is for working class folks? Ya right. Look it up. Also hypocritical is her admonishment of the Chinese. Wal-Mart is the largest importer of Chinese goods in the world. I find it odd that Hillary could on the one hand, serve on the board of Wal-Mart for six years, importing Chinese products, keeping unions out, then turn around and garner support from Unions, working class folk and then give speeches on the evils of China. THAT is the height of hypocrisy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C9bkuJliMY
cant operate a coke machine
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080430/ap_on_el_pr/political_play_of_the_day
cant pump gas
Why no press about the Peter Paul trial? Clinton and the FEC? Instead , we have silly pandering about gas prices, with Hillary and entourage of 10 vehicles! converging on a photo-op, with a big gas guzzling truck no less. She will stop at nothing.
Most people will lose money after the suspension of a gas tax, especially if there is a "windfall tax" levied on oil companies:
Demand will increase and supply will remain flat. Oil prices will therefore increase. Oil companies then face increased tax burden. This increased cost is passed directly to consumers. The increased cost of fuel in turn increases the cost of goods and services. We will save 60 bucks in the summer and pay dearly the following winter.
This is not true "tax relief." This is the ultimate in poor energy policy and pandering. Both Hillary and McCain should be held to the flames of scrutiny for this one.
DEBATE! DEBATE!! DEBATE!!!
It's time for everyone to face the truth. Barack Obama has no real chance of winning the national election in November at this time. His crushing defeat in Pennsylvania makes that fact crystal clear. His best, and only real chance of winning in November is on a ticket with Hillary Clinton as her VP.
Hillary Clinton seemed almost somber at her Pennsylvania victory speech. As if part of her was hoping Obama could have proved he had some chance of winning against the republican attack machine, and their unlimited money, and resources.
But it is absolutely essential that the democrats take back the Whitehouse in November. America, and the American people are in a very desperate condition now. And the whole World has been doing all that they can to help keep us propped up.
Hillary Clinton say's that the heat, and decisions in the Whitehouse are much tougher than the ones on the campaign trail. But I think Mr. Obama faces a test of whether he has what it takes to be a commander and chief by facing the difficult facts, and the truth before him. And by doing what is best for the American people by dropping out of the race, and offering his whole hearted assistance to Hillary Clinton to help her take back the Whitehouse for the American people, and the World.
Mr. Obama is a great speaker. And I am confident he can explain to the American people the need, and wisdom of such a personal sacrifice for them. It should be clear to everyone by now that Hillary Clinton is fighting her heart out for the American people. She has known for a long time that Mr. Obama can not win this November. You have to remember that the Clinton's have won the Whitehouse twice before. They know what it takes.
If Mr. Obama fails his test of commander and chief we can only hope that Hillary Clinton can continue her heroic fight for the American people. And that she prevails. She will need all the continual support and help we can give her. She may fight like a superhuman. But she is only human.
Sen. Hillary Clinton: "You know, more people have now voted for me than have voted for my opponent. In fact, I now have more votes than anybody has ever had in a primary contest for a nomination. And it's also clear that we've got nine more important contests to go."
Sincerely
Jacksmith... Working Class :-)