They're blaming it on Hurricanes Ike & Gustav. Gas prices are exploding across the South. Prices in Southeast Alabama are approaching SIX DOLLARS per gallon!
Several states have just declared states of emergency and invoked anti-price gouging laws:
Alabama:
http://www.troymessenger.com/...
http://www.wkrg.com/...
North Carolina:
http://www.blueridgenow.com/...
Some stations are rationing gas; some are out of gas. What's going to be interesting is what will the political fall-out be, if any?
This could be the straw that breaks the camel's back for the GOP in the South.
Oh what a conundrum! Should we vote for the Republicans again and tolerate crushing gas prices for four more years?
Regular unleaded when Clinton left office: $1.29/gal
Now: $3.65/gal +
Today, my uncle..who's a Democrat, but STILL ambivalent about voting this time said, "something's gotta give..."
It's unfortunate that poor people are going to suffer from this, but I'm hopeful that this will be the exclamation point that refreshes the memories of Southerners on just how bad the last eight years of GOP failure has been.