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Udall blasts senator on tax suspension

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 2, 2008 at 11 p.m.

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Colorado Congressman Mark Udall on Friday ripped a proposal to temporarily suspend the federal gasoline tax, calling it a "bumper-sticker fix" that won't lower costs for drivers.

The tax proposal has been floated by two U.S. senators running for president, Republican John McCain and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Udall, who is running for the U.S. Senate, was particularly critical of Clinton, his fellow Democrat, who on Thursday challenged members of Congress to say where they stand on the tax.

"Sen. Clinton claimed that I either stand with her on this proposal or stand with the oil companies," Udall said.

"To that, I say I stand with the families of Colorado, who aren't looking for bumper-sticker fixes that don't fix anything, but for meaningful change that brings real relief and a new direction for our energy policy."

Udall's comments raised questions on whether he might throw his support to Clinton's Democratic presidential rival, Sen. Barack Obama. Udall is a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, but has not said where he stands.

"This is strictly about the gas tax issue," Udall's campaign manager, Mike Melanson, said.

Udall, of Eldorado Springs, served one term in the state legislature before being elected to Congress in 1998.

Comments

  • May 3, 2008

    8:37 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    vudumom writes:

    I agree with Congressman Udall. Suspending the .18 cents federal gas tax is not going to help anyone. It is not going to make much of a dent in the high prices for gas or overall higher prices for goods. It will however cut into the transportation funds by at least 300 million. The savings will be minimal for drivers but significant to the transportation funding for states.

  • May 3, 2008

    9:06 a.m.

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    socrates writes:

    Udall's right - this is a vacuous gimmick that does absolutely nothing to provide relief to families and reduces revenues for necessary highway infrastructure improvements. McCain and Clinton should be ashamed for advancing such a ridiculous proposal.

    I have seen prices in gas go up 20 cents in the last two weeks. An 18 cent reduction by eliminating the gas tax would be gone in 10 seconds - the price would simply go up so refineries could grab a bigger cut of the revenues.

    I can't believe this is the best 2 out of 3 of our presidential finalists can come up with. Hats off to Obama for resisting this blatant pandering and calling for real solutions.

  • May 5, 2008

    8:16 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    JohnHKennedy writes:

    Both Obama and Udall are right about Clinton's Gas Tax plan. The temporary cut in Federal gas tax would do little for we voters but would cut the transportation funding available to the states. Clinton is getting desperate I think.

    Both men need to come out in support of holding impeachment hearings before the November election. Both have taken Oaths to protect the Constitution. Of course Clinton took the same Oath but expecting her to support impeachment of someone she seems to agree with often, like Bush, is doubtful.

    I could support Udall if he would honor his Oath of Office to Protect Our Constitution by:

    a. Filing his own Cheney Impeachment Resolution soon.
    b. Convincing his fellow Colorado Democratic Congressmen to do the same.
    c. Using all of his power to persuade the US House Judiciary Committee under John Conyers, Chairman, to allow immediate public debate of H Res 799/H Res 333, the Cheney Impeachment Resolutions.

    If he actually cares so much about our Soldiers, he will, before the election make sure that the House debates the pending resolutions for Impeachment of Vice President Cheney.

    For him or any other Colorado Democratic Congressman to avoid determining the truth about the reasons Cheney gave for the Iraq War makes a mockery of the 4,000 deaths and over 30,000 maimed of our Soldiers. If Congressional Democrats approved a war for Cheney's WMD Lies, the Soldiers indeed are dying for lies.

    That reality will haunt our congressmen for the rest of their careers Unless they swallow their pride and make Impeachment hearings happen before the election. Their individual salvation and absolution lies in championing Impeachment Hearings Now!

    Udall just needs to show a little courage.

    If Udall will not honor his Oath to protect Our Constitution and the Power of Congress to make laws and have them obeyed and enforced by the Executive Branch,
    Udall does not qualify to be a Congressman much less a Senator.

    We don't need another spineless Democratic Senator who votes like a Republican and will protect a warmonger President (and future Bush/wannabes such as McCain or Clinton).

    John H Kennedy, organizer
    Impeach Colorado Coalition http://ImpeachCO.com

    PS: Udall and the other Colorado Congressmen are advised to read the information about the
    The "Nixon Plan" - to Flood Congress with Impeachment Resolutions at http://www.impeachbush.tv/nixonplan/

    The Democrats successfully employed this method in the seventies to drive Bush from office.