Political Punch

Krugman is never quoted in the ad personally. There were several opinions expressed on the day shown that were critical of Clinton under the headline indicated. Krugman has nothing to worry about. By the way, now that his favorite, Edwards,(and mine) has endorsed Obama, will the brilliant Mr. Krugman follow suit?

Last fall the country was in uproar about our crumbling roads and bridges, now because of high gas prices Clinton and her supporters want to take all the money that would go to maintaining those bridges so they don't collapse. What are you going to buy with the estimated $28? Also if Clinton and McCain are serious about this plan why haven't they proposed legislation with Memorial Day so near?

Buy a bicycle or drive a hybrid. High gas prices are here to stay.

This is the "new" politics and "new" washington. He lied when he was first asked about wright, his instinct was to lie. No surprise about his campaign.

Why do we have a race about race, and debate what is wrong or right about Wright.Sounds like double talk, well it should, because that is what the media is doing, double talk. Why is it a matter of race when blacks vote for the person who is better able to reshape their country. Thats right people, this country is also made up of black, white, brown and every shade in between. Why can these people not be given credit for picking the best person and not "called to task" because that person happens to be black. Why in the past years did the media not point out that black people voted for the men who have been better able to serve this country. The history of black voters shows that the person that they supports, almost always do a good job runnig this country and raise the standards of respect for America all over the world.

Being a journalist doesn't mean never having to say you're sorry. But it does mean you get to say you're sorry five days late in a one paragraph article that will get scant notice.

But, hey, no skin off my back. Obama tackles Clinton's and McCain's plan but offers up nothing of his own. Just "change"!

Good. Now that that's over with will people please stop saying that McCain wants us in Iraq for 100 years?

Hey, your average American will drive out of their way and wait in line just to buy gas that's 5 cents cheaper than the gas station across the street. Obama just doesn't get that. We'll buy gas at the cheapest gas station and then go inside the gas station convenience store and spend double the regular price on some snacks and a soda.

The ad pointed to says "More low road attacks from Hillary Clinton", and references the New York Times.

This is referring to the NYTimes article "The Low Road to Victory", which criticizes Hillary's negative attacks.

This is not a reference to Krugman's article.

Guess it time to fact check the fact checkers.

Oh...hold on, dora. Now it seems to me you're supporting Obama...I...was a bit confused with your post...

dora, those mistakes must be intentional. What is your purpose, to try to get Obama supporters to attack you for being "stupid" and get ugly?

Please, no one fall for that, if so.

The ad pointed to says "More low road attacks from Hillary Clinton", and references the New York Times.

This is referring to the NYTimes article "The Low Road to Victory", which criticizes Hillary's negative attacks.

This is not a reference to Krugman's article.

Henry: that's right, poor oil companies. Barely made a profit last year and this year. Maybe we should start a charity for them - you know, to help them with high gas and food prices.

Who's with me! Get real!

Food prices go up, so we throw more money at farmers (including huge subsidies for NOT growing food). Gasoline prices go up and we decide we need to tax oil companies more? This doesn't make any sense. US oil companies made less than 8% profit last year. That is not huge. The price of gasoline is not due to the big bad gasoline companies but due to rising demand for petroleum worldwide, a drop in value of the dollar, high US taxes on gasoline, and US government mandated ethanol. Sadly, both Obama and Clinton are either too simple-minded or too politically motivated to do anything other than demonize oil companies.

Hillary Clinton is a corrupt politician. She also covered for Bill while he was taking advantage of women (and that's putting it lightly). Don't think for minute the Republicans won't bring that up, and many other damaging accusations against the Clintons. Have you all forgotten the Clinton scandals already?

Donny: prove it!

Obama's entire campaign is deceptive. He says he stands for change, but is backed by the same America haters that plant bombs, and spread lies about the US gvernment creating the aids virus.

Umm...to "character"...yes, you certainly are that. How about Obama himself -- not the three other people you mention -- be used to represent the character of Barack Obama? Novel idea?

I would also like a list of your lifelong associations, to -- as you do -- use it to determine your "character." Now isn't that silly?

Obama will destroy McCain in the Federal Elections!
--
A vote for John McCain is a death sentence for thousands of more U.S. troops and innocent Iraqi civilians (CHILDREN, women, and men). You vote for McCain, you will certainly have blood on your hands. When you meet your maker, you will not have the excuse that you didn’t know. You will not be able to hide behind Bush or McCain and blame them for it. With your vote you have sealed your fate. Don’t say you were not warned.

And don’t think that by voting for Hillary you’re clean either. She voted for the war and she’ll say anything to be the next president – she is a corrupt politician.

I think that the networks should ban people like Mr. Charlie Gibson after him & George crusified Senator Obama, news people should not show their beliefs just be fair to bothe candidates

How can anyone believe some guy who went to church for 20 years and didn't know the tone/preachings of his church? The guy is either a retard or a liar?

What kind of character does someone have, when they get a home basically bought for them from a criminal?

Obama is a terrorist waiting to get into the White house to blow it up.

Actually, I hope he wins the nomination. He will be easier to beat in the general election. Can't wait for the attack machine to start!

Obama's solution to the high prices is to find ways to reduce our use of oil. He proposes higher gas efficiency, and renewable energy.

Hillary's circular proposal is so wrong NO economist will side with her, and only McCain is with her in the Congress.

One problem with her windfall tax is that she's already proposed using that for other things, she can't use it twice.

The other solution Hillary pushes is breaking Opec. When does she think about addressing our need to reduce the oil we use?

Obama is think solving the problem we have with using too much oil, and real solutions. His priority is to reduce our oil usage with better fuel efficency, and investing in research for alternative fuels.

What organization is better run...Congress or Exxon?

A vote for John McCain is a death sentence for thousands of more U.S. troops and innocent Iraqi civilians (CHILDREN, women, and men). You vote for McCain, you will certainly have blood on your hands. When you meet your maker, you will not have the excuse that you didn’t know. You will not be able to hide behind Bush or McCain and blame them for it. With your vote you have sealed your fate. Don’t say you were not warned.

And don’t think that by voting for Hillary you’re clean either. She voted for the war and she’ll say anything to be the next president – she is a corrupt politician.

>"Big Oil profits are only a function of our consumption"
I wish that were true, but it's not. Stats released yesterday show gas consumption is way down, yet prices continue to go up. That proves this gas price spike is not supply & demand, but something else.

If 92% of any one ethnic group or race vote for one particular candidate, then you can rest assured issues such as depth of experience, range of knowledge, track record and personal accomplishments played little if any role in their selection. That kind of phenomenon is usually defined as a "mob" or "herd"... which is contrarian to the needs of the many.

Hillary Clinton is a corrupt politician. She also covered for Bill while he was taking advantage of women (and that's putting it lightly). Don't think for minute the Republicans won't bring that up, and many other damaging accusations against the Clintons. Have you all forgotten the Clinton scandals already?

Much like George Bush, the false prophet Senator Obama, twists the truth to his liking.

For all those who complain about "Big Oil profits" it is only a function of our consumption! If you want to spend less on gasoline then you should!

ABC would sell thier soul to add the O'Rielly-Hannity crowd to thier falling viewership. It seems that transaction is a done deal.

It's not the questions I don't like, it's the comparative seriousness of the charges. I don't see anything substantive in many of the allegations against Obama.

Katherineklein, you consider 1.84 Swiss Francs per liter (which is what I just paid a few hours ago at a Migros gas station outside of Winterthur) to be low gas prices? lol

Hi Soothsayer. We in Switzerland are not worried that Iran will point a nuclear against us. We get gas from them and thus support their economy. Maybe if you talked with people you would have low gas prices too!!

ABC has a lot of nerve writing about integrity after the last Jerry Springer show.... I mean ...debate fiasco.
Good thing Hilary got her court appearance postponed last month so she could campaign in Indiana. Hilary just wants to get back to the white house to look for some more of her hidden documents that the FBI couldn't find the last time. I bet you Hilary is already working on her story for how she made a 1,000% profit on oil company stocks in 3 months because of a "hunch". Hey, it worked before...

Your litany of "lies" was quite lengthy, UT. And I don't beleive I used the word racist at all. What are your feelings on torture and illegal wars?

Again Mark McVay,
A Obama supporter claim “racism” when he does not like the truth. Why are the people that post Obama’s own lies, as proof Obama is a liar “Racist”. Possibly it’s the pot calling the kettle black.

No kind of tax cut or holiday is going to fix anything. I think i would have to forget about all the canidates for president and still stick with bush on this issue. Why cant congress just pass the bill so we can do some horizontal drilling in The Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. We won't even have to set a foot on the refuge in theory. From what I understand there is plenty of oil to last this country a few years under there. A gas tax holiday will just make the oil companies alot more money. Instead of paying the tax to the government the oil companies will raise their prices and inturn we will be paying them instead. When it comes down to it it is not about politics it is about common sense.

Wow! Fact-checking! What a concept. Let's hope ABC News remembers how to do that when (or if) they ever decide to take a look at John McCain's statements.

"Uncle Tom doth protest too much, methinks.
Is there more to thine hate than meets the eye?"

The sad part is that Obama voted for EXACTLY the same tax holiday that McCain proposed when he was a state senator, and ironically it WAS effective despite Obama's LIES to the contrary. Talk about pandering hypocrisy - Obama isn't change, he's more George Bush arrogance masked in the wrapper of a second rate spiritual preacher...

SEan wrote, "If the Gods intervene, Obama wins, goes on to win the white house, realigns America with the world, decreases global dislike of America, improves parity inside the country, invests in infrastructure, wins another term in the white house and leaves the white house as one of the greatest presidents in modern history."

Whoa, SEan. Way too much to ask of America, dude. Gimme another Bud and let's talk about lapel pins and the pledge of allegiance. God, guts, and guns, dude.

hey Frank: The gas tax holiday is a bad idea if you are the oil company. Exxon Mobil continues to rake 10.9 billions of profit during the 1Q and you dont want to have a dent on it in order to offer some relief to some hard pressed families in just plain and simple greed to me. Don't be too greedy.

Clinton's plan differs from McCain's in that she also suggests the windfall tax profit, but no one seems to think that this is realistic, so we end up where we started, and we begin to see the logic in applying a criticism of one plan to another plan.

Would Clinton's plan really be harmless? Even if all of the economic experts were all wrong and it worked the way she is pretending to believe it could, what about 3 more (peak) months of ignoring our dependence on oil, buying gas-guzzling SUVs, undermining the development of a "green collar" workforce, keeping pressure off of real solutions like improving fuel efficiencies and developing alternative fuels. Let's not forget that this national vice is a foreign policy and security liability.

As I believe that Clinton's plan is in fact counterproductive, I feel that the term "pandering" is too kind. It should be categorized along with the authorization of the Iraq war as self-serving politics that actually do us harm.

That said, I am a bit dissapointed to see the liberty that was taken with the quote. Obama is and should be held to a higher standard and this may be a bit of a slip. If we are lucky enough to put Senator Obama in office we shall continue to hold him to the highest standards of ethics, a condition he alone has created.

I'll take this infraction anyday over the mulititude of willing deceptions and maddening condescensions coming from Clinton and McCain that should have even their own supporters completely outraged.

Only now, when Obama gets desperate, does he show his true color, which is that:

(a) He has nothing else to show for.

(b) So, he lied and twisted other's words to try to undermine rival.

I can't believe this guy qualifies to be a professor, given that he plagiarizes others' words and plans and claims to be his own, and now he outright lies.

I would like to go back and revisit all those "citations" he had in all his previous academic and professional work. I'm betting I'm going to have a field day find intentional errors all over the place.

Jerome, like it or not, no economy can keep growing without down cycles. The laws of economics aren't controlled by the experts, just understood.

Can you explain how Hillary would prevent the oil industry from simply keeping the price of gas the same and pocketing the difference, especially if they are expected to pay for it? If she will ignore the economists perhaps Hillary figure she's so smart that she'll start setting prices for gas? And if she's so good at that, why not set prices for everything?

Let me start by confessing that I am an economist at a state university. Senator Obama is right that a summer gas tax holiday is no long term solution for our energy and climate change problems. On the other hand, Robert Reich and other Obama supporters are dead wrong when they say that cutting the gas tax this summer will raise pump prices. Retailers and refiners might not pass all of the tax cut to drivers but they certainly won't raise the pump price. Let's not repeat bad economic reasoning in order to bash Senator Clinton.

Can you please pull the mendacity filled and offensive rant by Uncle Tom?

Anyone who has been paying attention can readily see that Obama has really tried to lift our politics to a higher plane. But Hill and Bill and the media refuse to leave the gutter. The gas tax cut is a pander pure and simple. He offers solutions and adult discussion. She offers bribes and smears.

Anna - don't worry. There are millions more like me who are going to switch over to McCain. People keep worrying about the angry kids and African Americans who will be upset if the nom is "stolen" from them, but we Hillary supporters may be a quieter bunch of women (and men)who will cross over to McCain in a heartbeat. OBAMA JUST ISN'T OUR KIND OF CANDIDATE AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS SKIN COLOR, UNLIKE 92% OF BLACKS WHO ARE JUST VOTING ON SKIN COLOR.

Hey Javalation: So you are bragging the opinions of the 230 economists, huh? Wow! we have quite a lot of good economists...Then why are we in recession???

A letter was signed by 230 leading economist against the stupid gas tax holiday idea, and how did Hillary respond? She has called them elitist and pressed on. This is very telling about the woman. She doesn't care what others think, even experts. She considers herself the smartest person around, and expects others to swallow her programs in their entirety with no compromise. How anyone can believe this is the leadership style that will bring us together, and take the country forward is beyond me.

BTW, how many economist back Clinton's idea: zero, none, Nada. She's pandering to ignorance on the subject.

I don't agree with Krugman's comment that, at worst, under Clinton's gas tax proposal, the money goes around in a circle. Clinton proposes to suspend a gross receipts tas but recover any oil company price-raising by a windfall profits tax. It is a lot easier for an oil company to use accounting to understate profits than it is for the company to under-report gross receipts. Thus there is a danger that Clinton's proposal will result with the oil companies coming out ahead. Obama is right -- a gas tax cut is not a fix. To lower gas prices, you need to reduce demand for gas by things like increasing the required EPA mileage rating for new cars, getting rid of the SUV-light truck exemption from the fleet mileage rating, providing subsidies for electric and plug-in hybrid car development, and similar things, all of which do not provide any instant solution.

When do the polls close so we can see 92% of African American vote goes to Obama? Don't ever call the Clinton's racists....look to Rev. Wright for that label.

Debra: you go ahead and vote for McCain and the continuing death toll (4000+) of young American men and women, and 20000+ wounded. Not to mention the continued slaughter of thousands and thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians (CHILDREN, women, men), in a war that Bush/McCain and Co. are responsible for.
How much more death do you want? You know that's what you're voting for when you vote for McCain.

I would love for Obama to win both states, but here is my prediction

Clinton wins Indiana by 8 and Obama wins NC by 5%

The Clinton camp spins that as a victory and goes on to use the nuclear option. Then they win the white house and 4 years later, America has become like England, a formerly great country but one that lives in the past.

But, if the Gods intervene, Obama wins, goes on to win the white house, realigns America with the world, decreases global dislike of America, improves parity inside the country, invests in infrastructure, wins another term in the white house and leaves the white house as one of the greatest presidents in modern history.

Which will it be?

The gas tax rebate plan of Clinton's is deceptive. The ad countering it is deceptive. The issue is does the gas tax rebate make good economic policy, the answer is no. There is no lie but there is deception.

Clinton was playing games, unfortunately Obama joined her.

Stop deceptive governmental policies by choosing Obama.

Obama is getting desperate. Hillary is eating his waffles in North Carolina and we might see a big upset this evening.

I would think a gas tax cut at the state level would cause a small rise in the price across the country as slightly more of the limited supply of gas gets used in that state. Then only a small portion of the cut would add to oil company profits, a price paid by the entire country, but most savings would go to the consumer in that particular state... Still not a good idea. But at least it benefits that state, while a nationwide cut hardly benefits any group of consumers at all, and actually hurts when you take into account the lost government revenue.

OMG does this mean Obama is going to use the same tactics and ploys as his adversaries?????

Shame on him. He has to be better than them. He has to be truthful and accurate and compassionate and wise and mature and good. He cannot descend into the methods of his opponents. That would make him just like them, creepy.

Kate ,

look past the mirror ....of self-loathing and self-pity ................ you "might", just might ...............
find a reason to Hope and Dream again !

Barbie Ken......you are full of pedestrian wisdom !

Every economist, right left and center, have agreed the McCain/Hillary gas tax is a bad and harmful idea. Why isn't ABC talking about this. Even Clinton supporter, George Stephanapolis pointed out no one supports it. This is demeaning to the working class to say we are too stupid to know when we are being used by politicians. One way to show them, vote for the candidate who wants us to think, not the ones who are just using us. Only Obama qualifies on that criteria. Before you throw out the Hannity/Limbaugh list of garbage, stop and actually think about it and do what is best for this country.

Why isn't ABC doing its job and picking up on this story that Bloomberg ran yesterday? 200 economists have come out against the Clinton/McCain gas tax holiday

Ken: I was just correcting you since you got the candidate wrong.

Hillary is clearly the weakest candidate. The republicans are going to win if Hillary is nominated.

Obama lies about everything. That's new politics?

Kate ,

look past the mirror ....of self-loathing and self-pity ................ you "might", just might ...............
find a reason to Hope and Dream again !

Hillary Clinton should step down from the Democratic race if she is concerned about another 4 years of Republican Rule. She has been vetted as the weakest link and will surely loose against the McCain.

Barack Obama is clearly the strongest candidate.

That's more like it, and the truth actually!

Was there a merger between Fox news and ABC-- Did I miss it?

Irish Gram,
Everyone knows an Hillary/GOP idiot when they see one.How stupid can you people be?
HRC lost the primaries by allowing herself to go down 0-11.Wake up!

What a crock! Obama and his campaign have to lie about Hillary's gas tax position to try to look intellegent regarding their own position on the gas tax issue.

HHHMMMMM....

What dirty tricks do they have up their sleeves next? Anything to win ! New 'change' politics ! HaHaHa Boy, Rev, Wright was sooooo right about Obama.

Could you PLEASE take the time to actually give Americans the FACTS about this "gas tax vacation" like how it will hurt maintenence, not do a damn thing to help the average American, that people need to DRIVE LESS if they want to SAVE GAS MONEY, and that McCain and Clinton couldn't even get this passed by the summer EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO WHICH THEY DON'T.

This is a ploy by those candidates to make themselves look trustworthy and any HUMAN capable of reasonable and logical thought can see that.

STOP praising Hillary for her half-wit ideas. PLEASE. Do the country a favor and THINK CRITICALLY about what she's spoon feeding you instead of just accepting it!

Barack Obama should step down from the Democratic race if he is concerned about another 4 years of Republican Rule. He has been vetted as the weakest link and will surely loose against the McCain.

Hillary is clearly the strongest candidate.

Obama's a liar. He's always been a Karl Rove Trojan Horse GOP shill, existing for one reason and one reason alone; to win the nomination so US racism would quite effectively suicide him against McCain.

This is how the Obama campaign "changes the tone of politics in Washington." This is how the Obama campaign "ends partisanship in Washington." This is how the Obama Campaign "rises above race in America."

By attacking the rightful Democrat candidate, and making love to the GOP and the GOP-owned mainstream media who have been making love right back, until recently, so they don't end up looking like idiots.

ObamaNation and his superdelegates? Duped FROM DAY ONE.

Irish Gram: prove it!

--------------------------
Hillary Clinton is a corrupt politician, and John McCain a warmonger - like Bush. I understand that this is insulting to their supporters but it’s the truth. No one with a shred of integrity would vote for either of these politicians.

Clintons facing fraud charges, and media is not covering it.

Case Number: BC304174
PETER F PAUL VS WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
Hillary facing fraud charges
Filing Date: 10/14/2003
Case Type: Fraud (no contract) (General Jurisdiction)
Status: Pending

Debra: you go ahead and vote for McCain and the continuing death toll (4000+) of young American men and women, and 20000+ wounded. Not to mention the continued slaughter of thousands and thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians (CHILDREN, women, men), in a war that Bush/McCain and Co. are responsible for.
How much more death do you want? You know that's what you're voting for when you vote for McCain.

Senator Obama is the most corrupt politician to run for high office in the last 100 years. He got started in his political life by corrupt means and it just keeps on going and going. He voted THREE TIMES to cut out gas taxes while in the senate. Just shows he is an hyprocrite. Obama, fullfil the promises you made in the mid 90 to voters in your distict and leave the rest of the country alone.If Obama wins, America loses. He is a Marxist regardless of his words. His actions show the true Obama. Terrorist groups love him, endorse him and hope he gets elected.

Obama is like any-other politician, he says what he has to say to win.

Since there's no way that Bush would sign a "windfall profit tax" into law this year, both McCain and Clinton's "gas tax holiday" plans for this Summer are the same.

Therefore, Krugman's criticism of McCain's plan can and should be passed onto Clinton, as well.

Anyone who says "Obama or McCain" or "Hillary or McCain" is acting quite foolish.

You may be so fired up about your candidate that you can't imagine voting for their opponent, but can you honestly say you'd rather vote for the following than vote for the other Dem:

Continuing the IRAQ war ad infinitum

Cutting taxes for the Wealthy

Torturing and holding people without trial

Destroying our environment to give Big Oil a higher profit margin.

Legislating what people do in the bedroom or with their own bodies

Rolling back privacy, probable cause, and other crucial civil rights

I could go on. Don't kid yourself, you'll do the right thing in November.

If you say otherwise, I can't beleive you were ever "for" your candidate in the first place, because both Dems are IDENTICLE on these issues.

Swissfish: When Iran has nuclear weapons mounted on North Korean missiles that will reach the neutral country of Switzerland, would you like to have the American-made EU missile shield thwart that attack, or just the potential attack?

Hillary Clinton is a corrupt politician, and John McCain a warmonger - like Bush. I understand that this is insulting to their supporters but it’s the truth. No one with a shred of integrity would vote for either of these politicians.
----
Case Number: BC304174
PETER F PAUL VS WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
Hillary facing fraud charges
Filing Date: 10/14/2003
Case Type: Fraud (no contract) (General Jurisdiction)
Status: Pending

vanessa, i'll bet if the truth be known
you will be one of the people who suffer the most from having either obama or mccain in office.
it does not seem as if you work, you are always on here. and if you are independently wealthy-you should not be on here talking the stuff you talk.
I hope you are the latter and well off.
because if not-well, at least you will be able to say you beat sen. clinton.
as she goes on off and continues to do good work in the world-wherever she can.
because-with all of the bile you spew,
you cannot change the good she has done or will do.
so see you or some of your relatives in the draft line or the welfare-foodstamp line.

No We Can't provide any kind of tax relief!

Yet more lies and dirty tricks from the Obama campaign.

Surprise! Obama isn't 'above' lies and dirty campaign tricks after all !

Hillary or McCain in '08

BlueDog: because it's a Hillary/McCain lie. It's a gimmick. It's how old style politics is played.