Hillary and the gas tax

Posted: Monday, April 28, 2008 6:12 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Mark Murray
As we mentioned earlier, Hillary Clinton is calling for a holiday on the 18.4-cent gasoline tax, and she says she'd make up the funding from that (which funds transportation infrastructure) by taxing oil company's "windfall" profits.

But it's worth pointing out that Clinton OPPOSED efforts to cut or repeal gas taxes during her 2000 Senate contest against Rick Lazio. It's also worth pointing out -- as the RNC has for last several days -- that Obama supported a holiday on Illinois' state gas tax when he was in the IL Senate (although as PoliFact later noted that Obama voted against legislation making the reduction permanent).

Here's what Clinton said at her October 8, 2000 debate with Lazio: "[O]ne of my fundamental disagreements during this campaign with my opponent was when he called for the repeal of the gas tax. Now, the gas tax is one of those few taxes that New York actually gets more money from Washington than we send. And we are totally reliant on it to do things like finishing I-86 in the Southern Tier, or the fast- ferry harbor works up in Rochester, as well as the work we need to do here in the city. So you can count on me to support infrastructure."

And here's a June 28, 2000 Newsday clip: "Campaigning in the Hudson Valley, Lazio continued a two-day assault on Clinton's support of maintaining the 18-cent federal gas tax and then used tough rhetoric to declare that 'trust' and 'character' were campaign issues during an evening fundraiser in Manhattan that raised more that $1 million. Clinton, meanwhile, lashed out at Lazio's plan to repeal 4.3 cents of the gas tax, calling it 'a bad deal for New York and a potential bonanza for the oil companies.'"

"During a visit to a shopping mall in the Buffalo suburbs, Clinton said that 'the gas tax is one of the few exceptions where we actually get more money back than we send to Washington.'"

(Hat tip to Political Base.)

*** UPDATE *** Clinton spokesman Phil Singer tells First Read that Clinton's opposition to gas-tax reductions/repeals in 2000 was due to the fact that they would take money out of the Highway Trust Fund. Her current proposal -- as mentioned above -- makes up for any money lost by taxing oil company windfall profits.

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Comments

KJ, how is a summer long gas tax relief bill a "few days"?

Check your calendar.

Sincerely,

Typical White Person

NOBAMA 2008

Russell Gorall, Green Bay, WI (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:17 PM)

This letter from an Indiana resident posted on http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/clinton-criticizing-closu_b_98972.html.

"Hillary Clinton must have been hoping we Hoosiers have short memories when she decided to take Magnequench as her main talking point in Valparaiso. Apparently Evan Bayh didn't tell her the company was sold in 1995 to an investment group, Sextant, that included two Chinese companies. Her husband was president at the time and allowed this to happen.
In 1995, Beijing San Huan New Material High-Tech Inc. and China National Non-Ferrous Metals Import & Export Corp. partnered with an investment firm, the Sextant Group Inc., to acquire Magnequench.

The sale required approval from the Committee on Foreign Investments in the U.S. That committee is chaired by the secretary of the treasury. It was approved by the committee even though it was known that China National Non-Ferrous Metals is run under the State Council, an arm of the Chinese government.

That same year, it was found by the U.S. International Trade Commission that the San Huan New Materials was associated with the Chinese government and was engaged in illegal practices that harmed domestic industry.

The Clinton White House had one more chance in 1999 to stop the move when the Anderson, Ind., plant shut down and started shipping the equipment to China, but it failed to act. Can we really trust a Clinton not to let our jobs and national security go overseas?"

Ed Dixon, Valparaiso

Ismael, Weslaco TX (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:20 PM)

Boy, the LIES just keep coming and they think that she`s still electable?

I think not.

THIS WOMAN CANNOT TELL THE TRUTH PERIOD!!

Just more LIES on top of LIES......

Let`s see if the media bring this up uin a LOOP.
Bet they don`t.....

Go Obama '08

BIGOLDTEXAN (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:24 PM)

This "bubble gum plugged in the hole of a dam" idea wil hurt us more in the long run. When I spend a couple hundred to fix the damage done to my car from a pothole the size of a football field. I'm going to be real mad at the person whole vote on a gas holiday. Go after the oil companies. And maybe go green would not hurt either.

Blaqwolf Youngstown, Ohio. (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:29 PM)

This gas tax holiday idea is ridiculous - all it does is increase profits & sales, benefiting only oil-rich countries. Those countries include Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Russia - in other words, countries to which it would be foolish to redirect either our oil profits OR our tax revenues. At least oil profits create jobs; spurring demand by artificially manipulating the market only benefits Hugo Chavez and the House of Saud.

Bridget, Portland, OR (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:35 PM)

Really the Entire Senate won't vote for eliminating the "Windfall profits that Congress gives Oil companies. Sen. Clinton know that and is once again flip flopping over and over again for Votes. She the Camillion of the Century.

Why didn't she do this while she was sitting in the Senate for the past 8 years? Why now? Could it be because she running for President and is Promising every State a "DEAL" my, my, my, where will all this money come from?

The taxpayers are strapped and loosing their homes and jobs by the millions, promises, promises, promises is all Sen. Clinton has given since she' been in the Senate and 30+years in government prior to that.

It;'s amazing how Sen. Clinton , sat, and sat and sat in Congress while we paid her check month after month, day after day, for the past 8 years and she did Absolutely nothing!

After Poor Performance in the Senate for many years she wants us to believe NOW she will fix what's broken?

Why now? Why not over the last 8 years? Why not over her last 30 years in Washington?

If Congress wasn't listening to her then they are certainly not going to listen to her as President. Sorry, forgot Sen. Clinton said Absolutely NOTHING so there was nothing for Congress to hear or Consider.

You see as President you have to have integrity, and certain attributes that you colleagues RESPECT!

Vl, (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:35 PM)

You Obama supporters are just ignorant of the facts---period. You guys better stop inhaling all that smoke coming out of the Obama camp. Do your research, before you mouth-off. Read the entire text, NOT such what sounds good to you.

Tad-SCarolina (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:35 PM)

I find it surprising that the monitors of this site consider it appropriate to approve a comment that refers to a candidate's private parts. Is this appropriate language by your lights? Reference DT pa

mw california (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:38 PM)

UPDATE *** Clinton spokesman Phil Singer tells First Read that Clinton's opposition to gas-tax reductions/repeals in 2000 was due to the fact that they would take money out of the Highway Trust Fund. Her current proposal -- as mentioned above -- makes up for any money lost by taxing oil company windfall
profits.
That says it all. Learn all the facts before making erroneous claims against a candidate, Murray. In this economic climate of huge oil profits and sky high gas prices the plan makes sense. At least she HAS a plan, unlike another democratic candidate.

Leigh B. (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:42 PM)

DOES HILLARY BELIEVE THE LIES SHE TELLS - IS SHE A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR?
.
Is Hillary a pathological liar? We know she lied about her involvement in the 'Irish Peace' process. And, the media exposed her lie about her trip to Bosnia in 1996, in which she claimed to have landed under sniper fire. (A trip she described as “dangerous” yet she brought Chelsea along with her.) Does Hillary believe the lies she tells? If she does - she is a pathological liar; if she does not - than she is less truthful than we ever imagined. Either way, she is would be a terrible choice for president.

We do not want a Commander-in-Chief who cannot tell truth from fiction, or reality from fantasy, or who interchanges them to suit his/her political objectives.

Hillary a pathological liar ............................... (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:53 PM)

Gas Tax Holiday? What's Hilary going to say about her vaunted experience and knowledge when they enact this so-called holiday and the speculators on Wall Street bid the price of gas even higher because of increased demand? OBAMA IS RIGHT AGAIN!!!!

Sick of Hillary (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:54 PM)

a gas tax holiday would stop construction and repair of roads and lay off thousands of construction workers. a windfall tax on oil will take months to pass congress and become law. So an average person will save about $25 dollars when the bridge he drives over collapses.

sonya, atlanta, ga (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 8:58 PM)

it is a start and if the oil company feels the pinch...maybe there will be hope for us...after all...all this oil profit is going to help Cheney and Bush when they retire

Mary B (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 9:10 PM)

That is who the government need to go after - the oil companies - and get rid of Citgo in the rush. Why does Exxon Mobil need to make 15 billion dollars in profit in ONE YEAR? - profit people!! Tax the oil companies, not the people. Even though that still does not solve the bigger problem of our dependence on foreign fossil fuel.

Jean Hay (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 9:14 PM)

Let me make sure I have this correctly - what a politician voted "no" (or yes) on eight years ago, they should vote "no" (or yes) on today, regardless of the difference in circumstances. Hmmm...by this reasoning if a re-vote for the war came up today, the vote should be yes. After all, that's how it was voted 5 years ago. And the fact that the vote was based on misinformation...well, I guess that's irrelevant, because how they voted 5 years ago is how they should vote today. Now, do you see how moronic this view is?

Angela, Rudyard, MI (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 9:15 PM)

Ok so what will happen after this holiday? Gas prices will rise even higher and we are back to square one. This shows that Hillary isnt thinking logically and doesn't have the average American in mind, yet again saying whatever pleases the current crowd. Americans need real solutions something that has substance and we need a candidate who will attempt to bring forth such solutions, change.

Obama 08!

Danielle, arlington, Va (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 9:25 PM)

Hmm - windfall profit tax - was not there something like this in say the early 70's. Oh! sorry that was price controls. That work really well, didn't it.

OBwan, IN (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 9:30 PM)

I get a better deal with my fuel perks at Giant Eagle here in Pittsburgh...you Hillary are a serious work of art...GO OBAMA 08!

Michael, Pittsburgh, PA (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 9:31 PM)

Wow! First Read is desperate!
Comparing a position Hillary took in 2000 to today's HIGH gas prices!
WHOA! that Koolaid must be pure concentrate.

carla (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 9:34 PM)

If MSNBC reporters had any integrity, they would have sought a response from Hillary's campaign BEFORE smearing! But their goal is to elect Obama.
The "update" should have been included in the original article.

carla (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 9:37 PM)

Be careful everyone. She will "lead" our great country into further debt with her experience and knowledge in economics.

Kathleen (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 9:40 PM)

Another misguided statement by the Democrats (all the same). Get the environmental nuts out of the way. Drill offshore, Alaska, etc. That will lower fuel prices.

Greg Woolf, Murrieta, CA (Sent Monday, April 28, 2008 9:41 PM)

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