Obama campaign set for political fallout from gasoline prices

[WestVirginiaRebel]

dailyherald.com:

President Barack Obama will try to head off the political impact of rising gasoline prices as Republicans vow to make the price at the pump an issue in the 2012 election campaign.

Obama this week plans events focusing on his administration’s efforts to expand domestic exploration and development of alternative energy sources to combat cyclical spikes in gas prices.

The price rise, driven in part by increased tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and higher demand as the U.S. recovery strengthens, is the one negative in recent economic data that have enhanced Obama’s political position. The cost of gasoline confronts voters daily.

“Gas prices will be the number one issue by summertime,” Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the House Republicans’ chief vote-counter, said in an interview.

Obama’s political team has been preparing to counter Republican attacks since the administration denied a permit for TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL oil pipeline, White House officials said. The renewed focus on what Obama has described as an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy kicks off with a speech tomorrow at the University of Miami.

White House awareness of the political impact was illustrated yesterday, when the president mentioned higher gas prices at a White House event promoting the extension of the payroll tax cut through year’s end.

Typical American Family

Obama said the $40 increase each two-week pay period for a typical American family “helps to pay the rent, the groceries, the rising cost of gas -- which is on a lot of people’s minds right now.”

White House press secretary Jay Carney came to his daily press briefing armed with statistics about domestic exploration and said Obama favors various forms of energy, including higher fuel efficiency standards, nuclear reactor development and alternative energy research.

“There are no magic solutions to rising oil prices and the pain that Americans feel at the pump,” Carney said. He said the president is “very aware” of how global oil prices affect U.S. families.

Obama’s message

Obama’s message will draw largely from previous speeches and proposals, officials said. He will attribute elevated prices in part to high demand globally, particularly in China, according to one of the officials, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

He will discuss the steps his administration has taken to increase domestic production of oil and natural gas, raise fuel efficiency standards and promote new construction of nuclear facilities, officials said.

“The United States of America cannot afford to bet our long-term prosperity and our long-term security on a resource that will eventually run out,” Obama said at Georgetown University in Washington almost a year ago.

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Talking points time.