GAS PRICES MAY BENEFIT POLITICAL CANDIDATES

Because I am an economics 101 challenged person I will leave the analysis of rising gas prices to the more knowledgeable pundits. Since I spend much time on the road, however, I must take a serious look at downsizing my vehicle-something I hate to do. While I fidget and cringe over high prices Robert Schroeder of the W$J informs me that a few unlikely folks are profiting from the gas price spike:

But the closeness to the election is as much of a potential peril as it is an opportunity to energize voters. Just ask Hillary Clinton, whose proposal to suspend the 18.4-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax this summer apparently didn't gain her enough traction with voters after economists almost universally panned the idea. McCain is floating a similar idea. Obama has rejected it. It's difficult to influence energy prices from Washington in the short term. But that hasn't stopped Clinton or McCain from talking about it. "It makes for really good headlines," says Matt Klink, vice president at Los Angeles-based Democratic strategist Cerrell Associates. Voters should take heart, though, since there's no shortage of proposals to bring down prices in the long term, and boost U.S. energy independence at the same time. Now the question is -- in an election year -- can the candidates agree on anything? "Whenever you get a critical mass of Democrats and Republicans working together on an issue, you get a solution," says Klink -- who adds that he hasn't seen any real bipartisan effort yet.