my ltte published -- Hello Mr. McCain: Price of a gallon of gas does matter

[radfringe]

http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/letters/Hello_Mr__McCain__Price_of_a_gallon_of_gas_does_matter_07-20-2008.html

July 20 - Times-Leader
Hello Mr. McCain: Price of a gallon of gas does matter


The way a candidate runs his or her campaign provides some insight as to how he/she will run things if elected. The same goes for a candidate’s choice of advisers and surrogates.

Phil Graham, presidential hopeful John McCain’s economic adviser, recently referred to the economic slowdown as “a mental recession” and called the United States “a nation of whiners.” Some have speculated that Graham would be at the top of the list for McCain’s pick as Treasury Secretary. With gas at more than $4 a gallon and a barrel of oil setting new records daily, Americans are feeling more than a pinch at the gas pumps and stores.

McCain quickly came out and attempted to distance himself from Graham, stating that Graham did not speak for him.

While McCain was doing this tap dance, Graham was at that moment speaking for McCain with the Wall Street Journal. So, which is it?

Previously, McCain was asked when he last pumped gas and what was the price of gas. McCain responded: “Oh, I don’t remember. Now there’s Secret Service protection. But I’ve done it for many, many years. I don’t recall and, frankly, I don’t see how it matters.”

Well, the price of gas does matter.

It matters when you have to put gas in your car in order to go to work, earn money to pay your bills and buy food. It’s soon reaching the point where people will need second and third jobs to pay for gas so they can get to their first jobs.

McCain isn’t above playing psychologist. Of his proposed “gas tax holiday,” he said, “it will provide a little psychological boost.”

Bush’s “tax stimulus” checks were feel-good gestures; they were not solutions. We don’t need feel-good or psychological boosts; we need real solutions.

Although it’s July, many people are looking three or four months ahead, when winter sets in, when it gets cold. A minimum delivery of 125 gallons of heating oil is costing more than $500. People are worried about how they will keep warm, as they know our Congress and certainly the two oil guys in the White House won’t be doing anything to help.

When you are tucking your kids into bed, putting on a few more blankets to keep them warm, will you kiss them goodnight and tell them it doesn’t matter – shivering from the cold is all in their heads?

[elehhhhna]

1. Gramm called us WHINERS while his bank helped citizens shelter 18 BILLION from US taxes, illegally.