The White House has been scrambling this week to contain the political fallout from rising gas prices.
You may have seen the most recent Washington Post/ABC News poll showed a record number of Americans giving the president “strongly” negative marks on his handling of the economy. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed say they DISAPPROVE of how Barack Obama is handling gas prices compared to just 26 percent approving – his lowest rating by the survey.
Today, Politico reported today that the president’s falling approval on gas prices has forced a number of vulnerable Senate Democrats, who face voters in November, to scramble for political cover. One notable exception is the senator who votes with Barack Obama ninety-five percent of the time, Sherrod Brown.
Sherrod Brown’s take on rising gas prices was quoted in the piece: “Clearly it’s just a political thing for [Republicans].” (Darren Goode, “Democrats Scramble on Gas Prices,” Politico, 3/14/12)
Just a political thing? Really?
According to the Associated Press, Ohio families and businesses have witnessed gas prices increase dramatically over the past four weeks. In fact, the pain Ohioans are feeling at the pump has increased 10 cents over the past week alone.
Sherrod Brown has repeatedly attempted to assign blame for rising gas prices to alleged “speculators.” But independent investigations by the Federal Trade Commission have consistently shown that “speculation” is not as big a factor in energy increases as Senator Brown claims.
This blame shifting and Democrat finger-pointing is nothing new. Last year, following President Obama’s announcement that he was forming gas prices task force, a CNN report said the president was simply taking a page from the “rhetorical playbook politicians have used for years when gas prices go up,” calling for investigations that “don’t lead anywhere and…politicians know it.”
Sherrod Brown’s comments on gas prices represent a stunning disconnect with Ohio families and businesses struggling to contend with rapidly rising fuel costs.
Sherrod Brown and Barack Obama should urge the Senate to immediately act upon the bipartisan House-passed energy bills that remove bureaucratic barriers to energy production, initiate a common sense, pro-growth energy strategy, and fight rising gas prices.
