Tennessee: Tuke: No credit for Alexander in gas price drop

When gas prices were higher earlier this year, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Bob Tuke blamed his opponent, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.

But now that prices at the pump are coming down, Sen. Alexander shouldn’t get any credit, Mr. Tuke said.

“The reason gas prices are coming down is that there’s an election coming up,” Mr. Tuke said in a Friday meeting with the Chattanooga Times Free Press editorial board.

Mr. Tuke said it’s clear that demand for oil has decreased over the past few months, leading the wholesale price to come down. But the price at the pump has lagged too far behind and stayed too high, he said.

“That’s not market forces,” he said.

Stephen Smith, a spokesman for Sen. Alexander, did not directly address gas prices, but said the senator has worked on “a balanced energy plan.”

“(Sen. Alexander) successfully fought to remove a ban on offshore oil drilling so we can access more American oil,” Mr. Smith said.

Mr. Smith said Sen. Alexander supports a plan that would look at numerous alternative energy sources.

Mr. Tuke agreed that there’s a pressing need for a comprehensive energy policy in the United States and said government leaders have been “fat and dumb” since the oil embargo of the 1970s.

“The Congress was complicit,” he said. “Both parties.”

Mr. Tuke cited wind power as one energy source he would look into, among many.

On the topic of taxes, Mr. Tuke said he disagreed with proposals by presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., to raise the capital gains and dividends taxes.

“Now he’s backed off,” Mr. Tuke said. “So he’s come around.”

But Mr. Tuke said he agreed with Sen. Obama’s plan to raise income taxes to Clinton-level rates for people who make $250,000 or more.

“We have to have revenue in this country in order to run it,” he said. “I think continuing to run on a deficit is absolutely irresponsible. Failing to ask people who can afford it to pay tax, in essence, taxes everybody’s kids and grandkids.”

Mr. Smith said Sen. Alexander has voted to provide tax relief to Tennesseans through a state and local sales tax deduction. He also said the senator supports an optional 17 percent flat tax which “would save money, encourage growth, and relieve a great deal of the anxiety that occurs every spring when April 15 rolls around.”