President Obama set himself up for another round of criticism from conservatives after he dismissed a question on Wednesday from the public about rising gas prices.
According to Instapundit, while speaking to a crowd in Pennsylvania, Obama scoffed at the notion of high gas prices becoming a burden for those who drive efficient vehicles. He told one person in the crowd that if gas prices were too high for his household budget, then maybe he should buy a new car.
Here’s how the AP initially reported it: “Obama needled one questioner who asked about gas prices, now averaging close to $3.70 a gallon nationwide, and suggested that the gentleman consider getting rid of his gas-guzzling vehicle.
“’If you’re complaining about the price of gas and you’re only getting 8 miles a gallon, you know,’” Obama said laughingly, “’you might want to think about a trade-in.’”
Instapundit’s Ed Morrisey retorts that “the last time anyone drove an 8 mpg vehicle that didn’t include a half-track was in the mid-1970s.” He observes a distinct Marie Antoinette tone in Obama’s remarks.
But the most interesting aspect of this story may be that, based on Instapundit’s Internet research, an early version of the AP story included the president’s remarks about gas guzzlers. But in subsequent versions of the story, that section of the article was edited out.
