by Reports are in that Republicans are warming up for a bombardment upon the head of Obama next month inspired by the relentless increase in prices at the pump.Prices for oil and gasoline have been steadily climbing since February, but because of the government shutdown crisis the oil price crisis was given low priority by lawmakers. Now that the parties have pieced together a final budget agreement and the government is open for business, it looks like the first order of business will be dealing with the price of gasoline and oil.The GOP is planning a many pronged attack in which it hopes to not only stabilize oil prices, but to make the Democrats, and especially President Obama, look bad in the bargain. Planned are the introduction of bills in Congress, hearings, floor votes and markups which will all focus on increasing the production of domestic oil, a strategy whose goal is to lower oil prices in the long run.It is not clear if the GOP’s strategy here will succeed in either defaming the president or lowering oil prices, as Michael Steel, the spokesman for the Speaker of the House John Boehner put it:”The White House and the rest of the Democrats who run Washington are terrified about the political impact of gas prices, because many of their policies — like the national energy tax — are explicitly designed to raise energy prices.”Obama discussed the effect that rising gas prices are having on his ratings, stating at a Los Angeles fundraiser,”My poll numbers go up and down depending on the latest crisis, and right now gas prices are weighing heavily on people.”
