I’m serious. Republicans need to thank President Biden for getting those gas prices down. No matter what columnist, Paul Waldman of the Washington Post thinks.
After all, as Waldman points out:
[W]hen prices were high, they couldn’t stop repeating that it was all Biden’s fault. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the rising demand from a reinvigorated economy originally drove up gas prices, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) blamed the “out-of-touch policies” of Democrats. “This is intentional,” said Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, alleging that gas prices were rising because Biden had a secret plan to “deplete our energy independence.”
Other Republicans agreed. Some began calling it “Biden’s gas hike.” Conservatives even sold stickers with a picture of Biden pointing his finger and the words “I did that!” for irate gas-buyers to affix on fuel pumps.
Even if Waldman is right, and “Biden isn’t responsible for bringing down gas prices, any more than he was responsible for them rising in the first place,” I still call BS. By not thanking President Biden, Republicans are either showing their crass ingratitude for his efforts, or implicitly acknowledging that gas prices are essentially beyond a president’s ability to control; that high gas prices were mostly due to Putin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine and the disruption of energy supplies it caused. Plus the shock to world economies brought on by an emergence from the worst pandemic in living memory.
But we know Republicans wouldn’t intentionally lie to their constituents. They wouldn’t have made something up that they knew wasn’t true. They respect their voters and the American people more than that, I’m absolutely sure of it.
So, they really need to thank President Biden for the fact that, as Waldman notes, “The national average for regular gas is now around $3.30, and in 13 states the average is below $3, where the national average could be by Christmas.” Because if he was responsible -- as they swore up and down, month after month — for keeping those prices high, then he’s just as responsible for bringing them down.
They don’t need to march right up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and say “Thanks, Mr. President,” although that would be nice. Even a resolution showing their gratitude would suffice, perhaps, say, as their first action of the New Year, right before they show us their big plan for tackling that pesky inflation. I mean, at least before President Biden brings that down, too.
If they don’t, well, then they’ll have proved themselves (yet again) to be nothing more than opportunistic liars. Liars who tried to score some cheap political points off the pain of the American consumer, knowing damn well President Biden was doing the best he possibly could in the face of an unprecedented global headwind to bring gas prices down.
And we know they’d never admit to that.
So, let’s hear it, guys! Who wants to go first?
With the Republican Party gearing up to take the majority in the 2023 Congressional term, the disarray they have been experiencing the past six years is now at Keystone Cops-level hilarity. Markos and Kerry speak with Daily Kos Senior Staff Writer Joan McCarter. Joan covers the Congress day-in and day-out, and has done so for a decade. She gives Markos and Kerry an enjoyable blow-by-blow of the Republican mud wrestling match going on right now.
