Public Not Buying Republican Lies About The Rising Gas Prices

If you own or lease an automobile, then you know that gas prices are rising again -- and this time the gas companies didn't even bother to wait for summer (the prime season for driving) to do it. It has gotten to the point that Americans are cutting back on their driving, and many are even turning to smaller more efficient automobiles.

Of course the Republicans see this as nothing more than an opportunity to try and blame something else on President Obama. They want the American people to believe President Obama is responsible for the rising gas prices -- in spite of the fact that a sitting president (of either party) has little to do with gas prices.

And those Republicans don't mind stretching the truth all out of shape to blame the president. They are saying that the gas prices are the result of the president cutting back on domestic drilling and and forcing the nation to rely more heavily on foreign oil. The problem with that is simply that it's not true. Domestic drilling has actually increased and currently resides at a higher level than at any time in the Bush administration -- and the U.S. reliance on foreign oil has gone down, to a point lower than at any time during the Bush administration.

Fortunately, the American public is not buying these Republican lies. A recent United Technologies/National Journal Poll shows that only 14% think President Obama is responsible for the rising gas prices. About 38% blamed the rising prices on manipulation by the large oil companies and 28% blamed it on the tensions and troubles in the Middle East. Another 5% blamed congressional Republicans.

Even better is the fact that more Americans think President Obama can solve our energy problems than believe the congressional Republicans can do so. About 44% of the public thinks President Obama can better solve our energy problems, while only 32% said the Republicans in Congress could do it better. About 16% said neither could do it and 1% thought both could do it.

Once again, the American public is smarter than the Republicans give them credit for.