Today double standard: Clinton, but not McCain, grilled on gas tax break proposal
SUMMARY: When Sen. John McCain twice touted the idea of a gas tax "break" during an interview on NBC's Today, Matt Lauer failed to challenge him over whether economists believe a gas tax holiday is a good idea. But when Sen. Hillary Clinton mentioned her proposal "to get the gas tax paid this summer out of the record profits of the oil companies" on the same program a month earlier, Meredith Vieira challenged her, saying that economists are "saying it's not sound policy."
During an interview on the June 11 edition of NBC's Today, when Sen. John McCain twice touted the idea of a gas tax "break," co-host Matt Lauer did not challenge him. By contrast, on the May 5 edition of the program, when Sen. Hillary Clinton mentioned her proposal "to get the gas tax paid this summer out of the record profits of the oil companies," co-host Meredith Vieira interjected: "Let me talk to you about this suspending the gas tax because there's apparently no economist that says that it is a good policy, and yesterday, you were asked if you could name a single credible economist who supports you." Moments later, Vieira added: "[T]hey're saying it's not a good idea. ... They're saying it's not sound policy."
Lauer offered no challenge even though moments before the interview, NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell had reported that Sen. Barack Obama "calls" a gas tax holiday a "gimmick" and that "even some Republicans say suspending the gas tax for the summer won't work." Mitchell then aired a video clip of former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) saying, "It's pure demagoguery. I mean, John McCain has shown some capacity to understand some economics."
From the June 11 edition of NBC's Today:
[begin video clip]
MITCHELL: On the economy, they have big differences over taxes, government spending, and energy. McCain supports a summertime gas tax holiday, which Obama calls a "gimmick." McCain with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo:
McCAIN: I think you're out of touch with America, I think, when you don't support such a thing. And it was just a break. It was just a break. They need it right now.
MITCHELL: But even some Republicans say suspending the gas tax for the summer won't work.
ARMEY: It's pure demagoguery. I mean, John McCain has shown some capacity to understand some economics.
MITCHELL: And Democrats are trying to portray McCain as out of touch on the economy and the war.
[end video clip]
[...]
LAUER: Gas: $4 a gallon. You know --
McCAIN: Sure.
LAUER: Americans want to know --
McCAIN: Yeah.
LAUER: -- that the next president of the United States, Senator, gets it -- feels their pain. But when it comes right down to it -- when it comes to the price of gas -- is there anything that either you or Senator Obama can do about it if elected president?
McCAIN: I think, clearly, though, we could give them a bit of a break for this summer. I mean, I ran into a guy -- Senator Obama as you noted calls it a "gimmick" -- I ran into a guy recently that owns three trucks -- paying 24-and-a-half cents a gallon for every gallon of diesel. He said, "Senator, that would help me a lot make it through the summer." So, it was just a chance to give low-income Americans an opportunity. But the real key to this is nuclear power, alternate energy. We've got to -- solar, wind, tide, develop batteries. We have to embark on a national mission -- a national mission to become energy independent. Nuclear power has to play a big role in that. Not only for energy independence --
LAUER: So enough of the debate about --
McCAIN: -- but also --
LAUER: -- whether we drill in the wilderness areas 'cause that's still oil, oil, oil.
McCAIN: Yeah.
LAUER: You -- your energy plan will take us away from oil?
[...]
LAUER: And are they doing enough in that area?
McCAIN: No, they're not.
LAUER: We had [ExxonMobil CEO] Rex Tillerson on recently --
McCAIN: No, they're not doing enough.
LAUER: -- of ExxonMobil, and we asked for email questions. We couldn't air half of the email questions. They were so upset. People basically saying, "How can you sleep at night? How can you and the other CEOs sleep at night when people are having to choose between feeding their families and filling their tanks?" So is -- are those people reacting out of pure emotion or is there some logic to that?
McCAIN: There's logic to it and emotion to it. I mean, after all, look what's happening to Americans who are on fixed income, particularly low-income Americans. That's why I want to give them a little break by the way. They drive the furthest. They drive the automobiles that use the most gas. I want to give them a little break for the summer. But the point is -- the point is the oil companies have got to be more participatory in alternate energy, in sharing their profits in a variety of ways, and there is very strong and justifiable emotion about their profits
LAUER: Two quick subjects: tax cuts. You've been hammered --
McCAIN: Sure.
LAUER: -- by some on the Republican and Democratic sides about flip-flopping on these tax cuts.
From the May 5 edition of NBC's Today (as re-aired the same day on MSNBC's Verdict with Dan Abrams):
CLINTON: I know that Senator Obama doesn't agree with me. I know Senator McCain is willing to lift the gas tax but not pay for it. I'm willing to figure out a way to get the gas tax paid this summer out of the record profits of the oil companies.
VIEIRA: But, Senator, let me ask you about the gas tax.
CLINTON: That is the beginning of trying to stand up to the oil companies, which is something we need to do.
VIEIRA: Let me talk to you about this suspending the gas tax because there's apparently no economist that says that it is a good policy, and yesterday, you were asked if you could name a single credible economist who supports you, and you said this. You said, "I'm not going to put in my lot with economists." You called that elite opinion. So, were you saying if you were president, you would not seek the counsel of any economists?
CLINTON: Oh, no, of course not, Meredith. But you know, I know very well that they're worried about it not being paid for, but I have proposed a way to pay for it. And that is to begin what we must do in this country --
VIEIRA: But they're saying it's not a good idea. It's not even worrying about that. They're saying it's not sound policy.
CLINTON: Well, I -- no, I disagree with that.
Maybe next time they should get Meredith Vieira to interview McCain ;-)
I'm not sure why McCain is often treated with kid gloves. Now I know many will insist it's proof of a Conservative bias in the media, but I've seen bias work both ways during this election primary season.
Maybe they think of McCain as some elder statesman, not to be challenged, or a grandpa figure you pay special deference to, & don't want to embarrass.
Or maybe they [media] are afraid McCain will flash that temper of his :-O
Or maybe they are just too damn lazy, or they've come to like the old coot [oops that's ageism!!]
Bottom line: McCain should be grilled the same as any candidate. We should expect both he & Obama to be treated equally so voters have a clear picture of who they are voting for.
Maybe they think of McCain as some elder statesman, not to be challenged,
Whatever, Jeter. Obviously you don't think Grampy was challenged enough while held captive as a POW for 5 years! Now you want to punish him some more? Have some respect.
I'd like to see someone challenge McCain not only on his assertion that a cut in the federal gas tax would be sound economic policy, butt also on what he says, quoted here:
"...Americans who are on fixed income, particularly low-income Americans. That's why I want to give them a little break by the way. They drive the furthest. They drive the automobiles that use the most gas."
It's fairly common for conservatives to use their concern for low-income people as an excuse for their inherent dislike of some policies. For instance, I've heard it often as their reason for opposing environmental regulations: "it'll hurt the poor." They use it, these days, as they oppose caps on greenhouse gases: "third-world countries won't be able to compete." (Never mind that poor air and water quality has a greater impact on low-income people, and global warming poses a higher risk to third-world countries.)
Yep, their concern for the well-being of the less fortunate among us is mighty selective indeed. And here's McBush trotting out this excuse to push his rollback of the gas tax.
Butt: is he telling the truth?
Po folks ain't the ones driving Hummers and Cadillac Escalades. Fixed-income seniors aren't the people who drive 20K miles per year.
I think the ol' serial adulterer is playing fast and loose with the facts...and I wish someone would call him on it. Is that too much to ask?
"Maybe next time they should get Meredith Vieira to interview McCain ;-)
I'm not sure why McCain is often treated with kid gloves. Now I know many will insist it's proof of a Conservative bias in the media, but I've seen bias work both ways during this election primary season."
Jeter, Liar McCain is being treated with kid gloves because it's the LATEST example of conservative media bias throughout the corporate conservative Republican Party controlled news media. The corporate conservative Republican Party controlled news media showed MONUMENTAL favoritism to Bush not just when he first ran in 2000, but even before he entered the 2000 Republican Primary Race in June of 1999, and they showed even MORE favoritism to Bush in the 2004 presidential election.
FYI, Meredith Vieria is also a right wing conservative Republican herself. BOTH Vieria and Lauer want Liar McCain to get elected.
"witness his failed economc stymulus package "
This package did not start to be implemented until the end of April. There are no data available yet to support or reject your conclusion. Please demonstrate it has failed or retract this baseless statement.
Good numbers for Q2 2008 GDP will not be available until mid-July at the earliest. GDP for the last 2 years are contained in this article, which is written with the MSM's usual "let's talk down the economy bias". The raw GDP data say that (1) There is no recession now, (2) there has been no recession for the last 2 years. Even the "pessimistic" projections for the rest of the year in this article forecast continued economic growth to the end of 2008.
NL - Please do let the facts get in the way of emotions. If people want to feel like they are in a recession then by golly they are! If people want to feel that other people are in a recession - who are you to tell them they are wrong? I think it is your post that is baseless because you did not take into account how some people might have felt when they woke up this morning. Now take it back!
NL - Please do not let the facts get in the way of emotions.
OOPs - I had to correct my above post so the sarcasim coulsd be better illustrated.
NL,
What was the "good" news in that article?
Lireacy is apparently not one of your long suits. I could be wrong, but did I not see this in that article:
"National Association for Business Economics predict the economy will crawl along at a 0.4% growth rate in the April-to-June period, which is expected to be the weakest quarter of the year. Growth should pick up to a 2.2% pace in the third quarter, energized by the Fed's series of rate reductions and billions of dollars worth of tax rebates flowing into the hands of consumers"
The NABE predicts no business contraction at all and that growth will accelerate towards the end of the year.
Wolf
It failed? If this is failure, we could use much much more of it.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080612/economy.html?.v=13
Looks like it is working fine to me, and your attempt to attack Bush has failed!!
Yes, the economy is going just swimmingly! Just like the Iraq war!
What was that, another bank failed today? No problem, we'll just raise interest rates so the other banks can make a higher rate of return on their loans which will never be paid back.
Me? I used my rebate check to take out a new sub-prime loan on a fixer-upper. If the dollar stays strong and gas stays cheap, I'll be a millionaire in no time!
"the economic costs of the gas tax break "
There ARE no economic "costs" of the gas tax break. The gas tax is itself a burden imposed on the public by government force, as are all taxes. The government is not about economy. It is about waste. It is about inefficiency. It is about force.
The media's lack of challenge this Government imposition on the common people during "hard" economic times is evidence of liberal bias!
The gas tax is itself a burden imposed on the public by government force...
And the revenue from which goes to maintain the interstate highway system. Got any better ideas for maintaining safe highways? Perhaps citizens could pitch in on their free weekends to do a little highway work?
" maintain the interstate highway system."
I am confused. Which of the Article I, section 8 enumerated powers of Congress is this?
"Got any better ideas for maintaining safe highways?"
I have heard rumors that some states fund activities like this from something called 'tolls'. No doubt this is a new concept to you since you failed to mention it.
"The gas tax is itself a burden imposed on the public by government force, as are all taxes."
How then, do you suggest we fund things like building highways? How about law officer and firefighter salaries? What about the defense budget? If you eliminate all taxes, how will we invade foreign countries??
"If you eliminate all taxes, how will we invade foreign countries??"
This is disappointing. I rather expected that would please you. Are we to infer that you favor invading foreign countries? Or do you only approve of such things when Mexicans invade our country?
Nice catch here by Media Matters...
I just e-mailed Lauer. What a wimp.
You're right,
I was trying to be nice in my e-mail. I only called him a wimp.
Oil companys make 4% profit on all the work they do to bring the oil to the gas stations. The federal government makes 15%, not to mention state, county and city taxes. How much work do these government enitities do to get gas at our stations?
Gerry