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Florida congressman upset at Obama for $70 fill-up of his Hummer

By Justin Hyde | Motoramic – Thu, Feb 23, 2012 4:56 PM EST

U.S. Rep. Allen West, a Florida Republican, has never been any great fan of President Barack Obama, but took to Facebook today to answer the question of what, if anything, he could praise about the president. His answer included a complaint that thanks to rising gas prices, it now costs $70 to fill up his 2008 Hummer H3. Is it really a good idea to use your Hummer to argue gas prices are too high?

Here's the complete statement from Rep. West that's drawing some attention:

People have asked me before is there any area where I could praise President Obama? Certainly, he has an impeccable penchant for understanding the power of the bully pulpit. President Obama is also very adept at promulgating deceptive language masquerading as policy, actually just insidious political gimmickry. This "tax policy" is an example as well as today's speech on his "energy policy" shall be. Here is the bottom line, last night it took 70 dollars to fill the tank of my 2008 H3 Hummer, what is it costing you? What does it cost the President to fill his gas tank?

Saying gas costs too much based on your H3 -- which sports an average fuel economy of 16 to 18 mpg -- seems akin to arguing Americans have grown too fat at the drive-through window of a Carl Jr.'s. Yet West and other drivers can't be blamed for the current run-up; it's not American demand for gasoline causing its prices to rise, but rather demand from China, Latin America and worries over Iran's actions near the Strait of Hormuz. Last year, fossil fuels were America's biggest export -- partly because of the economic recession and the shift toward vehicles that get 40 mpg instead of 16.

Rep. West may need to brace his pocketbook; that H3 will need $90 to fill if prices hit $4 a gallon, as most experts suspect they will soon. Or he could switch into something a little more economical; there's nothing quite as obnoxious as the Hummer on sale, but switching to, say, the 2-liter turbo Ford Explorer would save him at least $1,400 a year in gas -- and maybe some aggravation.

 
  • Sir David
    Sir David  •  Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania  •  2 months ago
    Speculation on fuel futures doesn't help, but neither does closing refineries in Philadelphia area. Why not build new, efficient refineries in the north central US/great lakes area for sustainable jobs and proximaty to the Canadian oil fields. Might help to bring the railroads back for transport and support. Not to mention a shorter pipeline which could be built with an eye towards environmental responsibility. Doing what's right may not be as lucritive, but there is plenty to go around for everyone. At it requires is a few companies to take steps in the right direction.
    • Disinformer
      Disinformer 2 months ago
      Because refineries cost a chitload to build and take down. Also no-one wants one in their hood.
    • Da Truth
      Da Truth 2 months ago
      Because the EPA refuses to approve the building of any new refineries. A new refinery project in North Dakota is on hold because the EPA is demanding another set of specific design questions and analysis that goes well beyond the scope of what they do. They are an enforcement agency not a bunch of petroleum and mechanical engineers.
    • Keith
      Keith 2 months ago
      Da Truth, we should just submit bogus plans as they would not know what the hell they are looking at anyway. Hell they may even try to smoke the plans, friggn hippies..
  • CAROLYN
    CAROLYN  •  Houston, Texas  •  2 months ago
    At least he can afford to pay $70; I have a Camry and I paid $50 for a fill-up. I guess I will have to cut back on something else.
    • anthonymichael
      anthonymichael 2 months ago
      Toyota Prius would help you out!
    • The TRUTH.
      The TRUTH. 2 months ago
      You are not the only one Carolyn. My Camry guzzles the same amount.
    • watcher
      watcher 2 months ago
      just this morning spent $62 on cheapest gas for my camry in orange county ca
  • Steve
    Steve  •  Colby, Kansas  •  2 months ago
    It is AMAZING how gullible the American people are. I work in the petroleum industry and I know how much BS is being fed to people and they just eat it up and ask for seconds. OPEC has increased production along with the US producing more to where stockpiles are growing even with more demand from China. Does anyone ever wonder how Exxon can make over $50 billion in profit? How BP can flood the gulf with oil and still make a profit? It is by giving hack writers easy stories about $5 gas. Who do you think the "experts" work for? It is time to wake up.
    • B Hunt
      B Hunt 2 months ago
      It is AMAZING how gullible the American (Middle Class/poor) people are. Voting for Republican/conservative types feeding them all the BS, just to protect the Oil Industry and rich.
    • DJE
      DJE 2 months ago
      My son-in-law was laid off from his job in the oil fields they don't need him to work there anymore they have enough oil and gas for years and years to come, they are raising prices and my son-in-law and family are on welfare cannot pay their house payments, buy food for the family, yet the oil companies live like kings and queens while the workers go hungry, is this right I don't think so and you and I pay for it also, I cannot even go on trips anymore cannot afford the price of gas and my car is only a 4 cylinder and its cost me over $50.00 to fill it and my tank is not big it only holds half what the bigger cars hold
    • DevilDog ATL
      DevilDog ATL 2 months ago
      Steve, they'll never understand. The oil companies have a racket from shore to shore. How is it that all the gas trucks load up from the same refinery or depot. BP, SHELL, QT, CONOCO etc. all pickup their gas from the same depot. They don't have their own seperate depots. I drive by the depot in Doraville, Georgia and see every gas station truck waiting in line to fill up.
  • nameless internet guy
    nameless internet guy  •  2 months ago
    gas costs too much no matter what you drive.
    • ryan godles
      ryan godles 2 months ago
      I SECOND THAT!! I'm about to invest in a radio flyer tricycle!! LOL
    • bob
      bob 2 months ago
      Go to Europe
    • Michael
      Michael 2 months ago
      get a four banger if you don't want to buy a lot of gas. If you want to drive fast see if John Force will let you borrow his funny car.
  • Roxanne
    Roxanne  •  Boston, Massachusetts  •  2 months ago
    That`s all! It costs more than that to fill up my Ford F150!
    • old grandpa troll
      old grandpa troll 2 months ago
      that's two tanks tho, right?
    • Mark
      Mark 2 months ago
      Mine, too! Had some fillups around $125 last summer when gas went over $4/gallon, for a 35 gallon full tank. Anything under $100 looks like a good deal around here.
    • Chris
      Chris 2 months ago
      I drive a diesel truck, 33 gallon tank and I'll break the $70 mark often. Ford F-150? Doubt it, even with super - which you would be foolish to waste your money on. Maybe if you have an aftermarket tank that holds 2X the normal tank...
  • Tha J Man
    Tha J Man  •  Birmingham, Alabama  •  2 months ago
    It doesn't matter what you drive...gas is WAY to expensive!
  • sharlene
    sharlene  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  2 months ago
    My husband and I had our Social Security froze for 2 years and everything was going up in price (food-gas-electric-etc) now we received a raise in Social Security and Medicare went up in price, gas is going up higher and higher, food costs are getting higher, where is it going to stop? We live in the country so we have to drive to town, and the ages of my husband and me we are to old to ride a bicycle. Quit shipping our oil out of the US, and quit pricing our gas on speculation.
  • Tracy
    Tracy  •  Port Orchard, Washington  •  2 months ago
    Dang - what part of Alaska, Canada, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Texas, California, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Wyoming, ect., does the Straits of Hormuz run through?
  • BRADLEY
    BRADLEY  •  Knoxville, Tennessee  •  2 months ago
    This is ridiculous....you get taxed to death , pay out the (*& for gas to get , to and from work, and congress and senate get raises! Are all the politicians two face?
  • American and proud of it
    American and proud of it  •  Apache Junction, Arizona  •  2 months ago
    The gas is too damn high.
  • Mark
    Mark  •  Orlando, Florida  •  2 months ago
    Yeah, buy a 2.0 turbo explore with payments of $500+ a month, high insurance rates for a new vehicle, plus fuel for 30 mpg............... or stick with my 15-20 mpg vehicle and pay a little more in fuel but no car payment and dirt cheap insurance....... which sounds more economical right now?
  • Lewey
    Lewey  •  2 months ago
    both sides will probably just vote themselves another pay raise
  • captainzing
    captainzing  •  Collinsville, Illinois  •  2 months ago
    I'm old enough to remember waiting in gas lines in the 70's. We're not very bright as a nation we still are addicted to Arab oil duh
  • Kyle
    Kyle  •  Tampa, Florida  •  2 months ago
    No such thing as a poor politician.
  • williek
    williek  •  London, Kentucky  •  2 months ago
    its about power and money and who controls it, democrats or republicans, and they are all liars and theives
  • kim
    kim  •  2 months ago
    it doesnt matter what kind of car he drives, gas is too freakin high for us all!!!!
  • davidc
    davidc  •  Los Angeles, California  •  2 months ago
    your lucky my man it cost me 135.00 to fill up my f250 diesel (from a quarter tank) in southern california
  • Spot
    Spot  •  2 months ago
    Gas stations should charge double for all politicians until gas gets down to $2.00 per gallon.
  • steelerfan
    steelerfan  •  Tampa, Florida  •  2 months ago
    It's all B.S. Gas is about $2 more than it's worth...gas prices go up because of Iran? We get most of our oil from Canada and Mexico so wtf? It's all a giant racket...ever wonder why all gas stations are about the same price?? Start allowing competition and see what happens to gas prices...
  • Fire
    Fire  •  Ocala, Florida  •  2 months ago
    I still have the same 2 vehicles I had in 1999. One cost $24 to fill up, and the other $40. Today, they cost $65 and $140 to fill up. You want to know why Americans are out of work... this is it! By the way, how do people that are out of work find work if they can't afford to put gas in the auto to drive to an interview? If they can find an interview? Unemployment pay doesn't even cover the basics, so unless you have family to live with until a job develops... you are up the creek. By the way, I have a job now... but it pays roughly a third of what I made in 1999. Obama quote: America is Back! Riiggghtttt....
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