Former White House reporter, through three administrations, Keith Koffler, posted on his blog today that the White House Press Secretary had some tough words for former speaker Newt Gingrich today.
Koffler wrote that press secretary Jay Carney “suggested Newt Gingrich is lying when he claims that he could reduce gasoline prices to $2.50 per gallon.”
Koffler does go on to say that Carney did not specifically address Newt Gingrich by name but did say that anybody who claims there is a strategy to reduce gas prices and offer $2.50 at the pump is “lying”.
Gingrich has made this claim central to his campaign, that gas could be offered at $2.50 a gallon.
“I’ve developed a program for American energy so no future president will ever bow to a Saudi king again and so every American can look forward to $2.50 a gallon gasoline,” Gingrich said at a CNN debate in February.
Koffler offered the insight that the usual code for Washington politics involves calling the claims of opponents “misleading” or “untruthful.” Koffler, with 16 years experience in Washington, said that rarely in verbal sparring will politicos use the word “lie”
This could suggest the White House perceives rising gas prices as a huge threat to their 2012 Presidential bid, wrote Koffler.
In the past few weeks the President has repeatedly attempted to distance himself from responsibility for these increases. [Read Koffler’s article here].
Politico just posted that Gingrich is firing back. They posted a statement released by Gingrich campaign spokesman.
“On the issue of gasoline prices, Newt Gingrich has the White House running scared and running on empty. That’s a truth the White House cannot deny. Polls show the American people reject President Obama’s excuses and fantasy solutions like algae. They want Newt’s $2.50 gas plan to dramatically increase domestic oil production so we can get lower prices at the pump,” Gingrich spokesman Joe DeSantis said in a statement.
With gas prices rising in Richmond by 7 cents in one week, residents certainly feel the pressure at the pump, and for candidates to find solutions. Read more about that here.
