NYT: As Gasoline Hits Record Price, Bush, Kerry & Dems Spar...

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As Gasoline Hits Record Price, Bush, Kerry and Democrats Spar Over Policy and Next Move
By MATTHEW L. WALD and JOHN TIERNEY

Published: March 24, 2004


WASHINGTON, March 23 — The record-high price of gasoline has suddenly become one of the most contentious issues here, with presidential candidates and members of Congress rushing to assign blame and propose ways to lower voters' costs at the gas pump.

As senators called on the Bush administration on Tuesday to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help curb prices, Senator John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, accused President Bush of neglecting energy conservation and favoring oil companies. The Bush re-election campaign blamed Mr. Kerry for voting against oil drilling in Alaska last year and for his past advocacy of higher gasoline taxes.

"It's clear we need a new energy policy," Mr. Kerry said. He cited a survey released Tuesday by AAA, formerly the American Automobile Association, showing that the average price for a gallon of self-serve regular unleaded was $1.738. The group said the price was a record, not taking into account inflation....

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Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for the Bush campaign, replied, "The John Kerry complaining about energy costs today must not have checked with the John Kerry who helped block the energy bill last year or the John Kerry who supported a 50-cent tax hike on a gallon of gas."
....Mr. Kerry has said in the past that the 50-cent tax was merely an idea floated to reduce the federal deficit in 1992, that he never voted for it and that by the mid-1990's he had decided it was a bad idea....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/24/politics/campaign/24GAS.html