Wash. Times Uses Oil Spill Anniversary To Falsely Attack Obama Over Gas Prices

In an April 19 editorial, The Washington Times wrote: “In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, nothing short of a rapid reversal of White House efforts to bottle up American's energy resources can stave off long-term damage to the nation's economic future. The message to the president: Drill, Barry, drill.”

In fact, as Media Matters has repeatedly noted, experts agree that it's “not credible” to blame President Obama for the gas price spike and have said that increased drilling would have no immediate impact on gas prices.

From The Washington Times:

Today, on the one-year anniversary, Americans don't have to travel to the Gulf to witness the lingering effect of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It's right there in the numbers on their gas receipts every time they fill up at the pump. As hurtful as the disaster has been to the economic fortunes of the Gulf region, the impact of the Obama administration's response to the spill has been far worse on the nation's economy.

On April 20, 2010, the day of the tragic oil-rig blowout that killed 11 workers, the average price for gas nationwide was $2.87 a gallon. Today, it's nearly a dollar higher. Residents of California, Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Hawaii and Alaska already have seen gasoline crack the $4 mark. If the price at the pump holds to its current trajectory, by Memorial Day, it will surpass the all-time nationwide high of $4.11 set in July 2008. Beyond that, the summer driving season could make $5 gas a nightmarish reality.

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In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, nothing short of a rapid reversal of White House efforts to bottle up American's energy resources can stave off long-term damage to the nation's economic future. The message to the president: Drill, Barry, drill.