Rising Gas Prices Give Conservatives Political Ammo Against Obama Administration

     As gas prices approach record highs the Obama administration is taking more hits regarding its energy policy. Last month, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour accused the administration of deliberately driving up oil prices as a means of promoting environmental goals such as reducing carbon emissions and increasing the use of hybrid cars. While the Obama administration has denied these charges, there is no denying that the administration has not been a friend of the oil industry and has promoted energy policies (ie the moratorium on oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico) that have, arguably, helped to drive up gas prices.

     This isn’t the first time the administration has had to deflect charges of this kind. Prior to becoming Obama’s Energy Secretary, Steven Chu openly called for a significant increase in gas prices to force Americans to buy more fuel efficient vehicles. While the Obama administration distanced itself from these comments and Chu backpedaled to some degree, the political fallout has lingered over Obama ever since.

     It certainly doesn’t help Obama that the concept of purposefully driving up gas prices has been adopted by some liberals and environmentalists. There is a real debate occurring in some circles right now over whether or not rising gas prices are a good thing for the long term interests of the United States and the world. Unfortunately for President Obama, most Americans don’t see it that way. With many families struggling financially now, few working Americans want to hear that rising gas prices are a good thing. What the average American wants to hear is that the government is doing everything it can to reduce gas prices for the country. Regrettably, this is not the message that is coming out of the White House.

     At the moment, there is no conclusive evidence that Obama supports rising oil prices. Much like the Van Jones fiasco, Obama has distanced himself from the radical comments of his subordinates and has sought to project a politically moderate image. However, at the very least, Obama has once again demonstrated his poor judgment in selecting people for political positions. And while the administration can deny it desires higher gas prices, gas prices are still going up and the administration has failed to take clear, deliberate action to counter this trend. Regardless of Obama’s motives, the reality of rising gas prices coupled with Barbour’s accusations should be a real concern for the President as we approach the 2012 election.

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Steve Michaels

Twitter: SteveMichaels5