McCain calls for a summer 'gas-tax holiday'

[underpants]

Source: MSNBC

Candidate also wants to ensure students can get loans in troubled economy

PITTSBURGH - Republican Sen. John McCain on Tuesday called for a summer-long suspension of the federal gasoline tax and several tax cuts as the likely presidential nominee sought to stem the public's pain from a troubled economy.

Timed for the day millions of Americans filed their tax returns, McCain offered some immediate steps as well as long-term proposals in a broad economic speech. The nation's financial woes have replaced the Iraq war as the top concern for voters, and McCain, who has said economics is not his strongest suit, felt compelled to address the problems as he looks ahead to the November general election.

"In so many ways, we need to make a clean break from the worst excesses of both political parties," McCain told an audience at Carnegie Mellon University. "Somewhere along the way, too many Republicans in Congress became indistinguishable from the big-spending Democrats they used to oppose."

To help people weather the downturn immediately, McCain urged Congress to institute a "gas-tax holiday" by suspending the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. By some estimates, the government would lose about $10 billion in revenue. He also renewed his call for the United States to stop adding to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and thus lessen to some extent the worldwide demand for oil.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24120727

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WOW talk about pandering on a grandiose scale. :wow:

No gas tax all summer huh John? That's just brilliant..oooh! and not having a strategic reserve :rofl: and you thought the Hillary campaign was a train wreck with cars full of fustercluck wait until Team McHundred gets let out into the light

[Cant trust em]

1. There goes promoting conservation

Let's make gas cheaper so we can use more up! Yay!

[tridim]

3. And remove the tax so the oil companies can raise the price some more to fill the gap

Then when the taxes are reinstated the government and the oil companies both benefit from $4.50/gal gas! Fucking genius McPain.

[underpants]

8. Yeah there is nothing to stop them from just picking up an extra 10 cents or so

because God KNOWS they will have their apologists and diverters out there throwing everyone off the scent

[Cant trust em]

9. I was watching Glenn Beck a while back

and his defense was essentially "what's wrong with making profits?"

What a moron.

[Happyhippychick]

2. Hey dumbass, how about promoting conservation and alternative energy?

Schmuck.

[spinbaby]

4. And how about some public transportation?

Our already pathetic bus service in Pittsburgh was cut back this year.

[book_worm]

5. and then when summer is over (and after the election) the oil companies will put thru a huge

increase in gas prices to make it up.

[screembloodymurder]

6. I can think of nothing worse for our country and the world.

The worst move he could make.

[Ramjet]

10. Yeah, but the head-in-the-sand public will think its great news...

Unfortunately, a lot of voters will cheer McCain's idea ... regardless of how meaningless it is in reality.

I wish Obama should have proposed something like this weeks ago, just to get out in front of the issue.

Now McINsane will get two days of puffball praise from the brainwashed press. It is sickening in the extreme.

[high density]

7. Yeah that 18.4 cents a gallon is the portion that is just killing us

And our roads are all in such great shape that we obviously don't need any sort of rebuilding or maintenance to be funded by the tax.

[harmonicon]

14. well, it's not like massive interstate bridges are collapsing or anything....

.... oh... wait... sorry!

[struggle4progress]

27. McCain: he won't build any bridges and he certainly won't repair any

[ladjf]

11. Yes, just long enough to get elected.

[Divernan]

12. Taxes are a zero sum situation. If you cut gas tax, the govt. will have to raise other taxes.

And you have to be pretty damn stupid if you can't understand that. However, the public has a long history of being suckered by politicians who spout off about "tax reform". Tax reform equals tax shifting. Alternatively, we can further increase the national debt and sell yet more govt. bonds to China.

[Strelnikov_]

13. And we will get the revenue to maintain roads/bridges from where?

Typical borrow and spend Reich economics.

[Dr.Phool]

15. Don't pay any attention to Old John.

He's just passing gas.

[pitohui]

16. i have a different idea, why not a windfall profits tax on exxon mobil?

actually my real idea, if i were the candidate and the president, is to nationalize the oil companies -- oil/gas is a strategic resource and should be owned by the public

if we're going to have so much consolidation and have an exxon mobil anyway, there is no free price competition, the best way to bring down prices is to nationalize and cut out the big pay/bonuses to CEOs, CFOs, and other deadweight at the top


programs to repair infrastructure and to create new public transport infrastructure are going to take time and money and won't happen over one summer, but these too would be a part of my evil plan


18 cents a gallon off the price of gas at the pump is pissing in the wind, mccain should get out in the real world and do his own shopping one day, he'd be mighty surprised

[NM Independent]

17. What an idiot n/t

[Thepricebreaker]

26. .18 cents per gallon we would save.... I think both sides should support this..

[BearSquirrel2]

18. This is bullshit ...

Gasoline is taxed per gallon, not per dollar. In fact the gas tax relative to the cost of gas keeps going down !!!! The fact that gasoline is expensive doesn't mean there is less road maintenance.

They did this in Indiana and nothing was accomplished beyond bleeding a surplus (which is now completely gone).

[pattmarty]

19. Can this "old coot" form coherent thoughts anymore?

[Tempest]

20. How's he propose to pay for it?

The deficit will have to be made up somehow.

[Lorien]

21. More tax cuts and more consumption-it's the GOP way

one of the ONLY ways they know of to address every problem. It's no wonder that since 1776 70% of America's National debt was created under both Bushes and Reagan.

So, McLame, just how do you plan on funding another 100 years in Iraq?

[ShockediSay]

25. Tax cuts, a bigger nat'l debt, a weakened economy

a weakened dollar, more inflation,

what an economist!!!

[PittPoliSci]

22. obviously government is the problem with energy prices.

What a fucking cook. I'm so sick of the attitude that the government is responsible for the high gas prices because of taxes. The major oil companies keep jacking up prices on a whim, and rather than go after them or open up and explore new means of energies, we get "tax holiday." Thanks for the ridiculous solution, I'm sure glad the adults are still in charge.

[uppityperson]

23. How about increasing taxes on profits for oil companies?

[Canuckistanian]

24. God forbid the oil companies to make a sacrifice

Musn't interfere with the "free market".

Wouldn't be prudent.

[fujiyama]

28. Well he did admit he's not every knowledgable on economic issues

It shows!

Though, considering his recent cluelessness about the ethnic conflict in Iraq, I wouldn't consider foriegn affairs his cup of tea either.

What does that leave you with?

Completely selling all the credibility you ever had? He's an expert at that.

[Javaman]

29. Yes, folks, he is that stupid.

this is called pandering to emotion.