Hillary Clinton advisor: Barack Obama's "clinging" to a certain issue

Barack Obama refuses to be put on the defensive as the odd presidential candidate out in the great (though temporal) debate over the federal gasoline tax, steadfastly opposing the call by both Hillary Clinton and John McCain for suspending the levy through the summer.

In Indianapolis today, Obama derided the proposal as the type of "phony" idea that politicians often promote "to win elections instead of actually solving problems." (For more, see this story by Times reporter Peter Nicholas.)

Camp Clinton, however, clearly likes the dog it's got in this hunt. Not only did did the candidate herself press her case today in North Carolina, but consider this quip by one of her campaign advisors, Doug Hattaway, to Times reporter Noam Levey: "The Obama campaign seems bitter about sliding in the polls and they're clinging to these gas tax attacks."

Hattaway, of course, was making a play on words now associated with Obama's mini-sociological dissection of small-town life. But Hattaway also might have been feeling chipper about the gas-tax issue because of where he was standing at the time -- the Auto Racing Hall of Fame, in Mooresville, N.C.

Hard to imagine anybody in his immediate vicinity -- or for miles around -- whispering a word against anything that might lower NASCAR racing costs.

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Getty Images

Comments

[Deward Bowles]

It is worth noting that the primary in NC and IN and ultimately the election hinge on a bet by two of the candidates that low information voters will believe their preposterous assertions that a "gas tax holiday" will help them pay their fuel bills this summer.
Anyone with a high school level education in economics will tell you a gas tax holiday will actually have the effect of raising gasoline prices. The consumer will simply never see a dime and the oil companies will make even higher profits. Not to mention the fact that it might put as many as 300.000 people out of work when the country is reeling from job losses or drive our debt even higher.

It is simply impossible to even suggest that such a measure could be introduced much less pass through congress before the end of the summer given nobody but McCain and Clinton support it in congress.

We are witnessing an epic and historic clash of old and new politics, one rooted in pander and deception of the past and one with the promise of truth and transparency.

My vote is for Senator Obama

[Jim]

Hillary's campaign is secretly hoping Obama would not cling to Gas Tax Holiday issue.

This issue has exposed them for the idiotic and cynical ("the voters are so stupid they don't know any better anyway: 18 cent discount idea will sell!!") political campaigners they are.

I hope Barack clings to this issue beyond Indiana and NC: this is one that will expose Hillary for the elitist ("these voters are too stupid to know economics") candidate she is.

When there is actually an ISSUE OF RELEVANCE at hand, and one side is a pandering fraud, and the other is telling it as it is, WHY NOT CLING TO IT? It will prove to be the game changer that Hillary has predicted. Just not the way she liked.

[BZ]

Obama is done.
Hillary will win both NC and Indiana. He cannot recover and his ardent supporters are not enough.
His middle ground supporters are defecting because of his scary relationship with the nutcase Rev Wright.
It will not go away. And everyone knows it.

He is on the ropes hanging on....the anger is bubbling right under the skin you can see it.

And, why did he wait so long to address it. His whole approach to this has turned us all off. I don't trust him anymore.

[Roddy]

When Obama loses NC and Indiana, let's hope he has the sense to recognize that he has lost momentum and that he should drop out of the race, or risk tearing the democratic party apart.

[Tomas43]

Dear Deward,
I'm also an supporter of Senator Obama but to claim that 300,000 people might lose their jobs because of a "gas tax holiday" is as absurd as the assertion that such a "holiday" will be of any significance to the voters.

[jdavis]

The gasoline tax cut Clinton is proposing may not sound like much but every little bit helps. I think I deserve it you may not.

[Renaldo]

Obama is an empty suit with absolutely no content to his "change" message. To me, he seems to appeal to largely cult-susceptible, Jim Jones-like Kool Aid drinking, bleeding hearts. At least Hillary has the gumption and initiative to offer up something--as opposed to Elmer Gantry preaching to his choir. Kudos to big, bad Hillary- --80 lb balls.

[hinnis]

The problem I have with Rev. Wright's church, is that Rev. Wright, by his own admission, preaches black liberation theology, which is a very racist theology based upon the conflict between the "black oppressed" and the "white oppressor". That is why, for example, Rev. Wright portrays Jesus as black, and his murderers as white, because that is the only way that the story of Jesus will fit with his theology. That is also why so many of his statements are framed as black and white issues (e.g. "rich white people"; Natalie Holloway was a "white girl" who "gave it up" on an Aruba beach; the "garlic nosed" Italians in the time of Jesus who killed Jesus were "white people"). Consistently making the point that Jesus was black and his murderers were white is very much like the bigoted fundamentalist Christians who continually make the point that the "Jews killed Jesus." We all know what that is code for; that means that the Jews are evil, as a group, and responsible for the murder of Jesus. Rev. Wright is guilty of the same type of bigoted rhetoric.
I would recommend to all those interested that they research black liberation theology, and in particular, the writings of James H. Cone. Rev. Wright acknowledges that Cone is one of his theological mentors, and the church's website recommends his book "Black Theology and Black Power." I have the book, and have read it cover to cover. Here are just a few quotes from the book about this theology:
(1) “To be Christian is to be one of those whom God has chosen. God has chosen black people." (2) "While it is true that blacks do hate whites, black hatred is not racism." (3) "All white men are responsible for white oppression." (4) "Theologically, Malcolm X was not far wrong when he called the white man "the devil." (5) "If there is any contemporary meaning of the Antichrist, the white church seems to be a manifestation of it."
My problem with Obama attending this church for 20 years is that it speaks to his character and judgment. If I were to attend a white racist church for 20 years, and considered its white racist pastor to be my "mentor and spiritual adviser," it would not be unreasonable to assume that I'm a racist. In Obama's case, the converse is also a reasonable assumption.
One more thing: For the record, I don't care whether Jesus was black, white, Jewish, or green.

[Thomas Stinson]

Just left Churchill Downs for the 134th Kentucky Derby won by favorite "Big Brown". "Eight Bells" the lone filly in the race showed a lot of heart finishing second. While on her tour of nearby Indiana yesterday Senator Clinton was asked who she like in the Derby, she replied the filly "Eight Bells" was who she liked. Big Brown's victory was quite impressive and really never in question after he took the lead, Eight Bells attempted to catch him only to bread both ankles and being put to sleep on the track. Senator Clinton might want to look at these results in the morning as it seems Politics could very well mirror Horse Racing.

[James]

John McCain and Hillary Clinton are right to mention short-term options for consumer/trucker relief. It may not be a great idea long-term, but many people are desperate.

Those of you pooh-poohing the plan..tell me...is your income minimum wage?

ANY and ALL ideas - should be thrown out as possibilities. Congress and Senate can (and have) passed bills in 24 hours. THEY HAVE TO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH.

I think what we are seeing is a groundswell of a movement and it's not about a vague hope/change message.

The movement is about solutions and action.

The time for talk and speeches about lofty ideals is past.

Only those of us fortunate to have a lot of money can afford to wait for hope and change.

I voted today for Hillary Clinton. I was for Obama for months. But, more and more - I see that the country needs action and requires a vision based on reality.

[concerned voter]

The voters of Pennsylvania were awed by Hillary suddenly remembering that she duck hunted and now had a great affinity for firearms. In this primary round
she will suspend your gas taxes. I think she should be
commended for knowing just how naive and ignorant
the primary voters really are. If she wins the nomination
we will all deserve exactly what we get.

[LonghornMama]

"low information voters???"

this is exactly why people are right to hate Obama as a candidate. He -- and his supporters -- are the most elistist snobs in the history of running for the Presidency. Even Jack Kennedy managed to look like he understood the little people from his Camelot view. Obama is impossible. May he fail...big time!

[Martha Gilmore]

The irony about the Clinton's "dog in the hunt" is that it has no chance of getting out of its dog house. Congress is just not going to play that game again. Been there and done that. Tax holidays don't work because the oil companies can just keep the price the same and make an additional profit. It's not even a short term fix.

The deceit about this is the Clintons know that it will never be enacted, but they are pandering to the voters ,because their pollsters told them "they could."

The same pollsters told Mrs. Clinton she should vote for George Bush's war in Iraq because it would make her appear "stronger" in her run for the presidency. She didn't bother to read the National Intelligence Estimate because her vote was not about what was right, but what was politically expedient at the time. Of course, times have changed and so has her rhetoric. Poll driven ethics, Clinton style. Not this time folks.

Time for a change that we can believe in.

Barack Obama 2008

[PulSamsara]

My VOTE is for Barack Obama thank you.

I prefer my Presidents to have SOME conviction....
Hillary Clinton's gas tax stance is pandering as well as botched. At the end of the summer the gas price would remain as high as it would have been (see supply and demand 101) while the bridges and highway coffers would be over 100,000,000 dollars in the hole.... but the oil refiners will have made a killing !

Clinton is a pathetic human being.

I voted for her husband twice and her once... I've now written her off as the human stain she is.

[germanguy]

According to Webster's Dictionary the definition of 'cling' is "a: to hold together b: to adhere as if glued firmly c: to hold or hold on tightly or tenaciously".

I guess what one of Clinton's campaign advisors, Doug Hattaway said is true. I wouldn't expect Barack not to 'adhere' to his truthful statement regarding this 'tax holiday'. This again is another reason I like this man, he is honest and straight forward. THANK YOU MR. HATTAWAY for confirming what we Obama supporters have always known - we are choosing the right candidate.

[CC]

sniper fire.

[Jaben]

Agreed Deward.

Out with the old, in the with the new. Seriously folks, can't we just move forward? Give it a shot for once?

[Chas]

Hillary is the best! I am so delighted at the thought of having BOTH temporary relief and long term relief from high gas prices. Even the Obama camp has said the gas tax relief will end up with some savings for consumers. I like how Hillary thinks about my problems and comes up with immediate short term solutions and couples them with long term solutions. She also has done this with the Mortgage Foreclosure crisis. She had the vision to see that a crisis was on the horizon. She quickly and decisively came up with a short term solution to stabilize the market and provide immediate solutions to those who desperately need it AND she combined that with a long term solution to prevent what has happened from happening again. This is just one reason why I think she would be a great president.

[wake up america]

Obama is an hypocrite - Obama voted 3 times for Gas tax relief back in 2000. Now he’s saying no. Obama is a flip-flopper.

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama accuses his presidential rivals of pandering to voters by supporting the “gimmick” of temporarily lifting federal taxes on gasoline, despite his own past support for a similar tax holiday.

THE FACTS:
Obama voted three times for a tax holiday.

In 2000, gasoline prices were climbing quickly, reaching $2 a gallon in the Chicago area — a remarkable price back then. Illinois legislators scrambled to offer some election-year relief to angry motorists.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080430/ap_on_el_pr/obama_gas_tax_fact_check

[germanguy]

Stating that as a result of attending a 'questionable' church for 20 years will ALWAYS result in someone becoming a racist of 'questionable character', whether black or white is false. It at best would be an 'assumption' that would not hold water in ALL cases. I make this statement from personal experience. I have researched Obamas past in depth and in some situations even I would question his associations. However, having been in a number of similar situations in which I could have made a choice to move away (figuratively speaking) I did not choose to do so. Today, I am much more in tune with people of all backgrounds as a result of my past associations (which at one time even included the mafia). Based on all the facts regarding Obamas associations and how he used what he learned from them, he was better able to help the people in the communities he worked. I praise any man (or women) that would make personal sacrifices for the well being of the less fortunate.

I must admit, I am still impressed in how well he has dealt with all this negative stuff being thrown at him. I sometimes see this as a sport, where the referees are not calling the fowls when they occur. If they did, Hillary would have been on the bench a long time ago.

OBAMA '08

[kg]

IF SOMEONE BELIEVES "GAS TAX HOLIDAY" HELPS,

HATS OFF TO YOUR INNOCENCE, NO WONDER UNEDUCATED, ELITIST HILLARY GAINING YOUR VOTES.

Here are the details;
Do you know Government never reduces income. Roads needs more than this 18% TAX income. So, there comes the same Government applying double of 18% on to your BACK.

IF McCAIN, HILLARY are TRUE and BRAVE, WHY DON't THEY STOP TAX BENEFITS to BIGOIL and RETURN THAT MONEY TO OIL CONSUMERS?

Because, BUSH/GOP is OIL'y and CLINTONS are SOUDI's. I mean the "EARNED" 2 PALACES "FOR FREEEE" in ABU DHABI worth $11 Million in 2001.

[kk]

"DAMN" YOU GUYS

CLINTONS RUNNING FOR 2012 AND NOT 2008.

Their only goal in 2008 after lost in Mar2008 is to make sure McCAIN wins and ready as 78 OLD "READY TO DIE" "SAME AS BUSH" for them in 2012.

GROW UP.

[Deborah]

The gas tax is a fake - only John and Hillary would say anything to ge elected. I want my bridges and highways to remain safe, by imposing this tax for the Summer we would be in trouble. Do Hillary and John know that it cost over 300,000 jobs across this country? All states depend on these taxes to support the highways. I do not want to hit a pot hole next winter.

VOTE OBAMA 08' - LET'S VOTE IN FULL FORCE.

[Chang]

The economics of this are simple.

We have LIMITED SUPPLY of gas.

Prices REFLECT this limitation.

If PRICES are LOWERED (by 18 cents), then people BUY MORE. They will probably spend same amount of money.

DEMAND increases, SUPPLY doesn't.

To compensate, companies RAISE PRICES.

In the end, consumers LOSE MONEY.

This entire gas-holiday is just a scam. It looks good at first, but it will do more harm than good in the end. Saving $20 over a summer isn't going to do much good. Clinton and McCain are both ignoring the long-term consequences of their gas-holiday.

[MaryB]

JDavis... The whole country is broke, you are not alone... but your $23 savings comes at a huge cost... do you really want to give up the federal fund for bridge repair, to save $7.50 a month over the summer?! People in Minneapolis, I'm very sure, disagree with you.
And Roddy, he is ahead in states, delegates, and popular vote... and gaining ground in superdelegates. Why would HE step down? Tell the witch of the east she should step down. She should have already done it... she is embarrassing herself, the party... continuing on is simply tearing the party apart, but she doesn't care... intelligent voters are screwing with her "entitlement"!.