As Dems Get Cocky, American Families Feel Gas Prices Spike

Democrats’ Failed Policies are Contributing to High Gas Prices and Threatening the Fragile Economy

• President Obama and his fellow Democrats are starting to get cocky and are treating an economy with somewhat lower but still horrific unemployment, thanks to millions of Americans losing any hope of finding a job, as some sort of proof of their improving electoral fortunes.
• This chest-thumping from Democrats is offensive to the millions of Americans who continue to struggle with unemployment and the new reality of rising gas prices that pinch their wallets. 
• Despite this economic hardship, Democrats continue to push the same failed policies that are contributing to high gas prices and economic misery.

President Obama and his fellow Democrats are starting to get cocky and are treating an economy with somewhat lower but still horrific unemployment, thanks to millions of Americans losing any hope of finding a job, as some sort of proof of their improving electoral fortunes:

OBAMA SAYS ECONOMY IS “HEADED IN RIGHT DIRECTION” ON MONDAY: “Our recovery is gaining steam.  Our economy is getting stronger.  So we’re headed in the right direction.” (“Remarks by the President on the Payroll Tax Cut,” The White House, 2/21/2012)

PELOSI “CONFIDENTLY PREDICTING THAT SHE’LL HAVE A SHOT TO REGAIN THE SPEAKER’S GAVEL NEXT YEAR”: “The most optimistic Democrat on Capitol Hill is Pelosi, who says that her party can keep the new momentum rolling through the election and that Democrats will have a shot to take control of the House — a view that is not shared by Washington’s cadre of independent political analysts.”(Jonathan Allen, “Democrats Warn: Let’s Not Get Too Cocky,” Politico, 2/21/2012)

MORE THAN 3 MILLION “MISSING WORKERS” WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT OF LABOR FORCE: “There are currently over 3 million ‘missing’ workers who should be participating in the labor force but are not actively seeking work.” (“Jobs Preview 2012: The Year of the Missing Worker,” HPS Insight, January 2012)

This chest-thumping from Democrats is offensive to the millions of Americans who continue to struggle with unemployment and the new reality of rising gas prices that pinch their wallets:

“GAS PRICES ARE HIGHEST EVER FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR”: (Chris Kahn, “Gas Prices are Highest Ever for This Time of Year,” Associated Press, 2/18/2012)

GAS PRICES $1.61 PER GALLON HIGHER UNDER OBAMA: (“Petroleum & Other Liquids,” U.S. Energy Information Administration, Accessed 2/21/2012)

“SURGING GAS PRICES THREATEN TO DERAIL ECONOMIC RECOVERY”: “Just as the recovery is finally looking real, surging fuel prices are once again looming as a major threat to the financial health of U.S. consumers and the broader economy.” (Don Lee and Matt Stevens, “Surging Gas Prices Threaten to Derail Economic Recovery,” Los Angeles Times, 2/21/2012)

$5 A GALLON GAS MAY BECOME A REALITY FOR MANY AMERICANS: “ROBIN ROBERTS, ABC News: ‘So how high could prices go? ABC’s Cecilia Vega has more in Los Angeles, where five dollar a gallon gas already a reality there, Cecilia?’ CECILIA VEGA, ABC News: ‘Yea, Robin, 5.09 for the premium, check this out, 4.93 for regular, and it could soon look this way all around the country… the average price of gas nationwide has never been higher for this time of year… and brace for it to only get worse.  Some predictions show gas reaching five dollars a gallon by Memorial Day.’ ” (“Gas Prices Could Spike After Iran Tensions,” ABC News‘ “Good Morning America,” 2/21/2012)

Despite this economic hardship, Democrats continue to push the same failed policies that are contributing to high gas prices and economic misery:

“THE ANTI-JOBS PRESIDENT” REJECTS JOB-CREATING KEYSTONE PIPELINE: (Editorial, “The Anti-Jobs President,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/19/2012)

GREEN GROUPS THREATENED TO ABANDON OBAMA IF HE APPROVED KEYSTONE: “Environmental groups have been protesting the pipeline that would run from Alberta oil sands to Texas refineries, and there have been rumblings that greens would abandon Obama next fall if he approved it.” (Dan Berman and Darren Goode, “Obama Punts Keystone XL Pipeline,” Politico, 11/10/2011)

NATIONAL JOURNAL ANALYSIS: “U.S. ECONOMY MISSED OUT ON CREATING UP TO A QUARTER-MILLION JOBS” IN 2011 BECAUSE IT “LACKED [ENERGY] INFRASTRUCTURE”: “The U.S. economy missed out on creating up to a quarter-million jobs this year because it lacked the infrastructure to capitalize on a rare divergence in global oil prices, a National Journal analysis shows.” (Jim Tankersley, “A Crude Hit to the Recovery,” National Journal, 11/29/2011)

INCREASING ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH KEYSTONE XL WOULD LIMIT PRICE SPIKES IN FUTURE: “There’s no evidence that the oil industry manipulated the price spread to boost refining profits; the companies just appear to be benefiting from the nation’s inability to move cheaper oil around freely. Energy industry groups say expanding America’s pipeline infrastructure – including potential Obama administration approval of the Keystone XL pipeline to carry oil south from Canada – would minimize the odds of another wide price split in the future.” (Jim Tankersley, “A Crude Hit to the Recovery,” National Journal, 11/29/2011)

ENERGY SECRETARY STEPHEN CHU IN SEPTEMBER 2008: “SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO FIGURE HOW TO BOOST THE PRICE OF GASOLINE TO THE LEVELS IN EUROPE”: ” ‘Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,’ Mr. Chu, who directs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September.” (Neil King, Jr. and Stephen Power, “Times Tough for Energy Overhaul,” The Wall Street Journal, 12/12/2008)

OBAMA WANTED ENERGY PRICES TO “NECESSARILY SKYROCKET” UNDER HIS CAP-AND-TRADE PLAN: ” ‘Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket,’ Obama told the Chronicle. ‘Coal-powered plans, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plans were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.” (Catherine Richert, “Pence Claims that Obama said Energy Costs Will Skyrocket with a Cap-and-Trade Plan,” PolitiFact.com, 6/11/2009)