Brilliant. Typical. Politicians scrambling to come with "solutions" to the gas price problem in order to a) get some media attention to aid their personal re-election campaign, b) try to bolster GOP approval ratings, and c) sneakily attempt to push bad ANWR legislation through congress. Of course none of this really helps... a $100 tax break for everyone, lessening environmental restrictions, drilling in Alaska... none of this makes us any less oil-dependent or air-polluting. If only our federal government would think and act for the long-term, rather than perpetually throwing band-aids at the problem while standing up to their necks in blood. Or oil. Hmmm... I'm not sure that metaphor really works. Whatever.

god i hate these pricks. and I hate that mcgavick fuck even more for hanging out with the pro-oil lobby.

fuck em all.

They'll pay me a hundred bucks to let 'em drill in ANWAR? Why didn't Ted Stevens think of this sooner? Hmmm... maybe after the price of the new HD DVD players comes down a bit...

$100? What's that work out to? Maybe 2 1/2 tanks of gas. Gee that ought to set things straight for the future.

And who said Republicans we're against solving the nation's dependence on foreign oil?

i love how republicans give tax rebates on taxes that haven't been collected yet.

who's gonna pay for it? oh yeah, the taxpayers, when democrats try to balance the budget in 2009.

Another brilliant invention of dine-and-dash conservatism.

These GOP senators are so out of touch..unbelievable.

The best part is, the Dems who vote against it will be accused in campaign ads of "voting against a tax rebate for hard-working Americans."

Genius!

The Dems are going to have their own brain-dead proposals on the subject soon, just wait.

No one wants to tell the truth, which is (a) gas is still pretty cheap, considering and (b) high gas prices -- REALLY high gas prices, like $5 a gallon or more -- are the best thing that could possibly happen to this country.

Instead we're going to get a bunch of pols falling all over each other to "ease the pain" of SUV-driving shitheads who don't understand the simple facts of life, and in the process bankrupting the country.

My guess is, the Rs are going to continue to promote new ways to subsidize the oil companies, and the Dems are going to continue to promote new ways to subsidize the growing of corn (ethanol, biodiesel, yadda yadda).

The simplest solution would be to enact a new $1 a gallon tax on gas, increase the CAFE standard by 25%, tax all new vehicles that get less than 25 MPG highway $10,000, pressure states to increase excise taxes BY WEIGHT, and subsidize the building of microcars.

And enact a law that says anybody anywhere who whines about the price of gas is immediately drafted into the Army.

Agreed on all points, fnarf. There is currently a bill in the US Senate - 1618 - to raise automobile efficiency to 40 mpg over the next 10 years (and get rid of the exemption for light trucks/SUVs). Admittedly, this is the bare minimum of what we should be doing, but it's a step in the right direction. I've been working with washpirg on getting Cantwell and Murray to co-sponsor and champion this bill; here's hoping.

FNARF!

Great post. I agree. Until gas reaches $5 or higher people will continue to blindly fork over their money to the oil barrons.

Sorry, that's US Senate bill 1648.

Are there any microcars or compact sedans that can safely transport two adults and three children in booster seats? I've looked and today's shoehorns aren't powerful enough to get everyone in there without cheeks plastered to side windows.

Harrumph

Whatever, i just want my 100$. Is it somehow earmarked for gas purchase only? Cause i don't have a car. I just want to take my handout from the R's and donate it to the ACLU, or NAACP, maybe even the DNC if i can stomach it. That would be the most fun i'd ever have writing a check.

No, it's worse. They want to give you $100 and take away tax credits and such from the producers.

Which will make it more expensive to produce the gas. But at least you'll have money to put right back into your tank.

I'm sure feeling comfy knowing the GOP thinks most voters don't know beans about economics.

Harrumph: I'm not suggesting that every single car on the road be a microcar.

I'd just like for it to be legally possible for ANY of them to be.

And anyone who thinks an SUV is necessary to transport a family is insane. There are plenty of moderately large cars that can handle the job quite adequately. When I was a child (admittedly standing on the back seat bloodying my skull on the dome light, not strapped in a kid seat) they were all over the place. They still are.

But no sedan provides the crotch-tightening marketing response of big ol' bronc-bustin' SUV, I guess. Which is the real reason people drive them. I see hundreds of them every day with one adult and zero kids in boosters in them.

A gas rebate? I want a heroin rebate next.

Yeah, they miss the point: the prices are high in large part BECAUSE of our usage and the dwindling, finite supplies.

And it's funny that even I, who hasn't owned a car in years, would be eligible for such a refund check.

First, aren't Republicans always singing the praises of free markets? If gas is too expensive, then we'll buy less and the price will go down--the market should correct itself, right? Second, are they seriously suggesting that it's better to pay Americans to keep consuming a dwindling resource than it is for Americans to conserve?