The White House’s attempt to protect President Barack Obama from the political impact of rising gasoline prices has fallen short. Gas prices now average $3.80 a gallon, about double the level they stood at when Obama entered the White House in 2009.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll released Monday shows that 65 percent of Americans are disappointed with Obama’s handling of the gas price increase. The president rushed to correct that, appearing for interviews on local TV stations in the politically important cities of Cincinnati, Denver, Des Moines, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Pittsburgh,
Politico reports.
But there is no sign that will do anything to improve Obama’s standing on the issue. The White House has continually argued that oil prices are set largely overseas, that domestic oil production is on the rise, and that drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and building the Keystone XL pipeline don’t offer a panacea.
Former Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., who backs Santorum, thinks the GOP has found a "ticking time bomb" to lob at Obama and his fellow Democrats. "They [Republican presidential candidates] are setting up a contrast," he told Politico. "The eventual nominee will benefit from it."
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