Steve Gill's blame game folly

Mary Mancini argues that math might not be Steve Gill's best friend in his latest attempt to blame Democrats for higher gas prices.

Steve Gill’s latest thesis: Democrats are to blame for high gasoline prices since "The average price of gasoline hit $3.33 a gallon last week, a stunning $1.14 higher than it was when the Democrats took control of the U.S. House and Senate…”" in 2006.

So what does it mean that the average price of gas rose a stunning $1.50 between January 2001 and August 2006 when Republicans had control of both Congress and the White House?

Steve Gill finds himself occupying a special spectrum of American politics fueled by partisan blame. Even the Bush Administration blamed producers for taking "steps that harm American consumers and our economy."

"The president is disappointed in today's decision," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "Producers should not take steps that harm American consumers and our economy."
[White House expresses displeasure with OPEC - White House Press Briefing - 03-31-04]

As far back as 2000, candidate George Bush and the Republican Party blamed suppliers and made an extraordinary campaign promise to the American people that to this day goes undelivered.

"What I think the president ought to do is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots. One reason why the price is so high is because the price of crude oil has been driven up. OPEC has gotten its supply act together, and it's driving the price, like it did in the past. And the president of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price."
[First in the Nation: The New Hampshire Debates -- GOP Presidential Candidates Square off - CNN - 01-26-00]