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Republican out to deflate Democrat's campaign
They've bickered over war and peace, taxes and healthcare. Now Barack Obama and John McCain are at odds over an issue not quite so weighty: the tyre gauge
- By Peter Nicholas, Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service
- Published: 00:07 August 7, 2008
Berea, Ohio: They've bickered over war and peace, taxes and healthcare. Now Barack Obama and John McCain are at odds over an issue not quite so weighty: the tyre gauge.
In a town hall-style meeting here, Obama defended his suggestion that motorists should properly inflate their car tyres to improve gas mileage and cut oil consumption.
Republican John McCain has mocked the suggestion, with one of his aides handing out tyre gauges aboard the campaign plane emblazoned with the words: "Obama's Energy Plan".
Obama pushed back hard on Tuesday, accusing his rival's campaign of "lying" about the scope of his energy plan. The Democratic candidate has also called for developing renewable fuels, curbing dependence on foreign oil and increasing production of plug-in hybrid cars.
"So, now the Republicans are going around - this is the kind of thing they do, I don't understand it - they're going around sending, like, little tyre gauges, making fun of this idea as if this is Barack Obama's energy plan.
"Now, two points. One, they know they're lying about what my energy plan is. But the other thing is, they're making fun of a step that every expert says would absolutely reduce our oil consumption by 3 to 4 per cent. It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant, you know? They think it's funny that they're making fun of something that is actually true."
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