Hero of the Day: CNN’s John Roberts

I’ll roll most of this transcript below the fold since it’s fairly long, but a big bravo to CNN’s John Roberts for not letting Clinton senior adviser Ann Lewis get away with dodging a logical question about Hillary’s gas tax holiday pander:

JOHN ROBERTS: Well, what about that Anne Lewis, Barack Obama is charging that this is a political gimmick? Where is this the legislation for this gas tax holiday that Senator Clinton has promised. It’s only three weeks now to Memorial Day.

ANN LEWIS, SR. ADVISER, CLINTON CAMPAIGN: Well, I would agree that it’s an example of leadership. Hillary Clinton says let’s take on the oil companies. You impose a windfall profits tax. You use that money to pay to make the difference so that you can suspend the federal gas tax and you make sure with the Federal Trade Commission that those profits are passed on to the consumers.

ROBERTS: And again...

LEWIS: Senator Obama says that’s too hard. We’re not going to be able to do it in time. besides it’s only $30 or $40. Well, that’s actually about $70 average per family. If you’ve got to fill up your gas tank and buy groceries, that could make a difference.

ROBERTS: Let me come -

LEWIS: What Hillary is talking about the kind of politics, it sees a problems, takes on the challenge and says here’s what we can do about it and I haven’t heard any solutions from Senator Obama.

DAVID WILHELM, OBAMA SUPPORTER: There’s absolutely no evidence that that proposal would work. It’s been rejected by just about every single economist and policymaker in this country of either political persuasion. It is an election year gimmick. Senator Obama has proposed by contrast in a $1000 year across the board cut for middle class families. That’s the kind of approach we need to take. It is thoughtful. It is not pandering. It is a real solution that will generate bipartisan support.

ROBERTS: David, let me interrupt you -

LEWIS: Well, I think targeted tax cuts in fact go directly to the cost. They’re squeezing families that are making a difference (inaudible). We’ve got people here pulling their trucks off the road because they just can’t keep them on the road. We know that food prices are going up because the cost of gas is going up. Look, Hillary has been talking about long term solutions. Let’s start developing alternative fuels. She’s also talking about taking on OPEC because of the oil cartel. Because they do get together and decide how much they’re going to produce and how much they’re going to charge us for us.

She’s got short term answers and long term answers.

ROBERTS: Let me just jump in for a second here.

LEWIS: The difference is she says it may be hard but we need to do it.

ROBERTS: Let me just jump in for a second here on this issue of exactly how much people would save. We talk about Len Burman from the tax policy center. Here’s what he had to say about how much money this will put in the pockets of the average American.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEN BURMAN, TAX POLICY CENTER: Best case scenario as I say has been an average of $28 or $29 over the course of the summer but in fact they would save only a tiny fraction of that because that assumes that the full amount of the gas tax is passed on to consumers and lower prices.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Ann Lewis, Hillary Clinton seems to be about the only person and you who say that it will be worth about $70 to the average American family.

LEWIS: Well, it assume -

ROBERTS: And again, where is the legislation because we’re running up against the deadline here. The Memorial Day holiday is only three weeks away.

LEWIS: You’re right about that. Let me start by saying, assume as you say that it’s an average. That means that people like me - I don’t drive at all. You know, I’m lucky enough to live in Washington. I can use mass transit. I can get around in other ways. I’m not going to save anything but there are people in Indiana. There are people all over this country who drive 30, 40 miles a day just to get to work. They’re going to save a lot more. So, let’s be clear when we talk about an average. We’re leaving out just those people who have the most at stake, the people who drive the most to get to work. And second, we’re leaving out the cost to our food, to everything we buy that gets, you know, transported somewhere that we’ve seen these rising prices all summer. So, I think that understates the difference it would make for families. And I’d say again even if you look at $60 or $70 saving, if I’m filling up my gas tank and trying to buy groceries, that could go a long way.

ROBERTS: Ann Lewis, David, I’m just asking one more time, where is the legislation?

LEWIS: Well, I’m told by the people who work on legislation and you will understand that I’m on the campaign side.

ROBERTS: Understand.

LEWIS: I’m not on the legislative side. And I’m told that they’re putting the legislation together.

Ummm, yeah, she’s “told.” Why is John Roberts the only media person asking this pretty obvious question? Can someone ... anyone ... in the media look into whether legislation is being worked on by Clinton or her staff for a gas-tax holiday and her promised associated windfall profit tax?

My local grocery store also has a gas station outside.  They give you 10 cents off a gallon if you purchase over $50 or $60 worth of groceries.  That saves me a whole $1.50 at the pump, while the gas is $3.98 last time I filled up.  I use coupons at the store that are bigger than that.  18 cents off ain’t nothin’.  I probably fill up my tank 5-6 times a month so I would save, at most, $48.60 for three summer months. That’s not even enough to fill up my tank once.

BTW, $3.98 is about the average price for a gallon of gas around here.

Also, BTW, I spend more than $50.00 a week on goat blood for my rituals baths.  I can see that I’m really going to have to cut back on those.

goats blood! I love it!

btw did anyone notice howmany times HRC mentioned the price of gas in her speech last night? MANY. the war, not so much.

ps.

http://tinyurl.com/4rpwyn