I think you're right about the strategy. Either Obama or Clinton comes out of the primary with a lot of work to do. This is a little like how the Republicans looked back in December and January with the backbiting between McCain/Romney and Huckabee. Unattractive. It makes you want to turn the TV off which is precisely the Republican strategy here. Harp on the negative, suppress turnout.

Unfortunately, this strategy has been aided by Hillary Clinton and her willingness to make non-issues, factual distortions and pandering a centerpoint of her campaign.

She's just being dishonest. But Hillary being who she is, not many people will care. They know she doesn't feel the need to be honest. I guess honesty is now "elitist" too.

In addition to all of the obvious points that have already been made, like "it won't save anyone any money", there's another issue. Reducing taxes will not mean the price at the pump will go far lower, just that oil companies will pocket the difference. Given the history of some oil-producing nations as sponsors of terrorism, perhaps Hillary Clinton should rethink any alternative that might increase their profits. Just a thought.

Are you being facetious? Obama isn't telling people they have to pay more at the pump, it's a FACT. Nothing will change that fact but consumer habits. What Obama is not doing is LYING. Are we now at a point where we attack politcians for telling the truth?

As for gas prices, they aren't going back down, gas tax or no. Hint: Obama has nothing to do with it. Taxes have nothing to do with it. Look east, Middle and Far East, and then dip into South Asia. That will give you a head start on seeing what we, globally, are up against.

The truth is that the alleged tax holiday not only won't lower prices at the pump, it will most likely end up in the pockets of oil companies. 12 more billion dollars. What a great strategy!

Are you being facetious? Obama isn't telling people they have to pay more at the pump, it's a FACT. Nothing will change that fact but consumer habits. What Obama is not doing is LYING. Are we now at a point where we attack politcians for telling the truth?

As for gas prices, they aren't going back down, gas tax or no. Hint: Obama has nothing to do with it. Taxes have nothing to do with it. Look east, Middle and Far East, and then dip into South Asia. That will give you a head start on seeing what we, globally, are up against.

The truth is that the alleged tax holiday not only won't lower prices at the pump, it will most likely end up in the pockets of oil companies. 12 more billion dollars. What a great strategy!

The author is a clueless hack. The factors at work in suspending the fed gas tax make it unworkable as every economist has stated. It's pathetic that the generally accepted laws of economics go out the window and under the bus for Hillary Clinton.

Frost clearly doesn't understand the issue or he's willing to lie about it just to make a point. That actually sounds a lot like McCain and Hillary Clinton on the gas tax issue. No surprise then, I guess.

However, Joan Walsh, if we are supposed to take the author seriously, I think it's important to have the facts straight. The reason why the federal gas tax holiday proposed by both McCain and Clinton won't work is that the oil companies pay it and there's no evidence that it will be passed to the consumer. I personally like Frost's gambit to pass laws making something illegal to do...when we know the oil companies already do it.

The basic reason why laws don't work to control prices is because you can't legislate profits. The oil companies literally have us over a barrel. Any attempt to force compliance will be costly and a losing proposition. All oil companies have to do is squeeze supply and watch as gas lines form. It's happened before.

Raising taxes on oil, OTOH, is fine with me. I expect that to be shifted onto the consumer, but this is a necessary evil. It WILL reduce consumption and create a fund to rebuild infrastructure and perhaps investment in other energy sources.

I have to disagree with one point you make. $30 savings is not significant to any family over 90 days. If you need an extra 30 cents a day to drive, you essentially can't afford your car. When you compare the cost of a car payment, with insurance and routine maintenance, it's impossible that this sum could stand in the way of you driving or not driving. It's financially impossible. One bad traffice jam could then wipe out all of your savings for several days, if prices did by some mechanism actually drop.

The fact is that many people have cars that have such low gas mileage that routine gas fill-ups are getting so expensive that they are changing their lifestyles. This will remain so regardless of any type of tax holiday, federal or state. The bottom line is that these people want an excuse to continue their habits.

Hillary made the gas tax holiday the centerpiece of her campaign in NC and IN. Basically, she stumbled on John McCain's great idea and decided it would fit nicely into her own stump speeches. The fact that it won't save anyone money, except of course oil companies, is simply not an issue.

If Krugman wants to blame someone, blame the Clinton campaign. They are braying to every news organization that Hillary is taking "leadership" (see: lying) on this issue instead of siding with those "elitist" economists.