GOP Scare Tactic #247: Gas Prices

[Graphic by Liss.]
Two Democrats and a Republican walk into a bar The Green Zone. One of the Dems, Rep. Ellen Tauscher (CA) goes on record to state how other congressional visitors get trapped in some kind of "Green Zone Fog" where they get killed to "death by powerpoint." She is convinced that a redeployment strategy needs to be addressed, since things aren't as rosy as others would lead you to believe.

Enter the Republican from the trip, Rep. Jon Porter (NV). See, Jon knows that support for this war is all but in the shitter. So, instead of going strictly with the "we're making a lot of progress" meme, he tries to go for the American jugular: The wallet.

"To a person, they said there would be genocide, gas prices in the U.S. would rise to eight or nine dollars a gallon, al-Qaida would continue its expansion, and Iran would take over that portion of the world if we leave," Porter said Wednesday in a phone interview from Las Vegas.

Some great stuff there, don't you think? Let's see what kind of backup he has for that piece of info he was told:

Porter did not elaborate on the assessment that gasoline prices could spike. His spokesman, Matt Leffingwell, said afterward that the scenario "makes sense if Iran moves into Iraq."

Porter "can't speculate directly on what is going to happen with gas prices, but the market prices for oil reflect the stability in that region," Leffingwell said.

Of course he can't elaborate or speculate on the assessment. He has no idea what he's talking about, so he just does as he's told. (Who's a good boy?) So, rather than question a blanket statement about gas prices increasing exponentially due to troop withdrawal, he shouts it, unashamedly, from the mountain top in the hope that everyone's knee-jerk reaction to cost of living would achieve the desired result.

Well, I got news for you fear mongering bitchez: Pavlov's left the building. Just admit defeat on this and cut the shit already.

[H/T to ThinkProgress]