John McCain (R - Pandering) Wants To Suspend All Federal Gas Taxes During Summer Of 2008

[hatrack]

Republican presidential contender John McCain this morning will suggest "that the federal government suspend all taxes on gasoline now paid by the American people –- from Memorial Day to Labor Day of this year," according to excerpts from a speech he will give that have been released by his campaign.

The Arizona senator, speaking in Pittsburgh, plans to make the case that "the effect will be an immediate economic stimulus –- taking a few dollars off the price of a tank of gas every time a family, a farmer, or trucker stops to fill up."

He will also propose that the federal government "suspend the purchase of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which has also contributed to the rising price of oil. This measure, combined with the summer-long 'gas-tax holiday,' will bring a timely reduction in the price of gasoline. And because the cost of gas affects the price of food, packaging, and just about everything else, these immediate steps will help to spread relief across the American economy."

EDIT

Bill Burton, a spokesman for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, has sent reporters a statement in which he says that McCain's plans offer "no change from George Bush's failed policies by going full speed ahead with fiscally irresponsible tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans that John McCain himself one said 'offended his conscience.' ... John McCain's plan is one that could have been written by the corporate lobbyists who run his campaign, and probably was." During a conference call with reporters this morning, an adviser to Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton also took issue with McCain's proposals. Neera Tanden said McCain's plans are a "corporate lobbyist's dream."

EDIT

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/04/mccain-to-propo.html

[endarkenment]

1. Plus any increase in gas usage will result in an increase in price.

The gas companies will be happy to take the federal tax revenue for themselves rather than having to give it to the government.

[hatrack]

7. But don't you see? If we cut the price of gas, people will use more, and the price will drop!!!

Wait a minute . . .

[Uben]

2. Like Bush's tax rebate......

....it's a crumb to lead you into the pits of hell! In other words, here's a small loan, vote for me.

[napi21]

3. I say BS!!! First of 18¢ is not much when the gas price is $4.00!

But the thing that buggs me MOST is that the treasury will be losing MILLIONS AGAIN, while the damn oil companies can't figure out what to do with all their PROFITS!

Where's that damn windfall profits tax?

[phantom power]

4. The GOP's "tax cuts are the solution to every problem" m.o. continues...

:eyes:

[liberal N proud]

5. How many more bridges will fail because the government stopped funding repairs?

These assholes make these statements and then they do cut the taxes not considering the consequence

[tinrobot]

6. Raise taxes and put it into infrastructure and alternative energy.

Lowering taxes will just encourage more of the same...

[BlueManDude]

8. ddn't the GOP push for this in 2000 v Gore when gas prices were "sky high?"

I remember at the time candidate Bush scolding Clinton/Gore for not "jawboning" OPEC on oil prices.

Little did we know that those were the good old days.

[jpak]

9. Senator Dumbass calls for winter suspension of all pothole and frost heave formation

Senator Dumbass further stated " This pothole holiday provides a timely reduction in pothole formation for the "Merican peoples. Now get offa my lawn!!!"

[kestrel91316]

10. At a time when everyone needs to CUT BACK on fossil fuel use,

why in hell is McCain trying to encourage INCREASED use by cutting costs? Is he completely insane?

Oh. Nevermind.

[phantom power]

11. "It'll never come back"

McCain's gambit to "temporarily" suspend the gas tax is very clever. But Democrats should not be taken in. If it's suspended it will never be reinstated. If they doubt that, remember the sad case of former California governor Gray Davis: he lowered the vehicle licensing fees with the understanding they would be raised when the state needed the money. When the dot-com bubble burst and the energy companies decided to stick it to California, he tried to reinstate them --- and it was a primary reason he was recalled and replaced with a cyborg.

I don't know how much money is involved, but however much it is will never be restored, so if they do it they'd better adjust to the lowered revenue. Republicans will screech like harpies from hell at the mere idea of "raising gas prices" with a "new" tax and the Democrats will get killed for doing it. Just say no to McCain's plan now.

I might suggest that Democrats point out to McCain that we can save a lot more money by getting out of Iraq. (Lives too!)

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/itll-never-come-back-by-digby-mccains.html



Update: Dean Baker explains how this gambit adds up to a huge windfall for the poor blighted oil companies.

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/beat_the_press_archive?month=04&year=2008&base_name=mccain_proposes_special_summer

[Nihil]

13. It's the sort of poison pill that George & co really like ...

The sugar coating yields a pro-GOP bounce just before election time,
the inert body of the "temporary" tag provides cover for removal by
a future GOP admin and the expectation that the next admin will be Dem
means the toxic payload is that it will probably be Dems who have to
reinstate the tax (at which point the talking point changes from
"Hey, we said at the time that it was only a temporary tax holiday"
to "The Dems are RAISING TAXES again!").

Of course, any protest against his dumbass suggestion will be countered
with "those elite Dems don't understand the common man like we do".

:banghead:

[hunter]

12. Why doesn't he just buy votes?

Vote for McCain! He'll send you a gas card loaded up with $1200!!!

(If you don't drive, no worries. It's also good at the Mini-Mart!)

A free DVD of The Dukes of Hazard Unrated and a portable DVD player will be included with every gas card.

So when those gas lines are just too long, our friendly hosts and hostesses will be out ther serving up cheetos, hot dogs, and energy drinks with a little extra bounce.

Turn on your shiny new DVD player, and while you are enjoying the movie, say to yourself "Thank you, President McCain!"

:woohoo: