Angry Republican Congressman Asks Why It Costs $70 To Fill Up His 2008 Hummer

[Galraedia]

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) is mad at President Obama because it cost him $70 to fill his Hummer up with gas.

A few hours before Obama was set to speak about energy policy at the University of Miami, West posted a rant on his Facebook page:

People have asked me before is there any area where I could praise President Obama? Certainly, he has an impeccable penchant for understanding the power of the bully pulpit. President Obama is also very adept at promulgating deceptive language masquerading as policy, actually just insidious political gimmickry. This "tax policy" is an example as well as today's speech on his "energy policy" shall be. Here is the bottom line, last night it took 70 dollars to fill the tank of my 2008 H3 Hummer, what is it costing you? What does it cost the President to fill his gas tank?

A Hummer H3 gets about 15 miles per gallon, which adds up to around $3,600 in fuel costs per year for someone driving 15,000 miles. It also has a 23-gallon tank.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/23/allen-west-mad-at-obama-o_n_1296980.html?ref=politics

and here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/republican-congressman-angry-it-costs-50-to-fill

[Terra Alta]

1. there's a reason it's called a "gas-guzzler"

Allen West is a dumbass.

[ejpoeta]

2. because he's an idiot who drives a hummer.

i think the appropriate question would be what idiot would drive a gas guzzler like that.

[Bluegene]

12. How can he complain?

When you buy a gas guzzler you are proudly announcing to the world you don't care how much it costs to fuel it. Did he miss Big Truck 101? This is just so uncouth in the world of monster vehicles, drive proud, give your last dime to the Saudi oil cartel and somehow make the grand leap that this is because you are a good American.

[ejpoeta]

33. amen. if you are going to drive a car like that then you don't get to complain

about the price of gas.

[Johonny]

36. and they're the party of personal responsibility

buy a car with low gas mileage and it's Obama's fault when gas predictably cycles up in price he pays $$ for a fill up. The dude chose his own ride not Obama.

[muntrv]

3. Uh Alan? Why don't you ask your sugar daddies in big oil?

[MineralMan]

4. Because he's a moron who bought a Hummer?

That seems about right, I think.

[Angry Dragon]

5. Free market at work

[DinahMoeHum]

6. Obviously a jerk-off with a teeny weenie problem. . .

n/t

[Canuckistanian]

7. He should ask his buddies at Goldman Sachs

Government has ZERO to do with gas prices today, Sparky.

[Bluegene]

8. You mean he had to fill up his own Hummer?

This is evolution at work, step aside, we are moving on.

[customerserviceguy]

9. It cost fifty bucks to fill up my Hyundai Elantra

And that's at New Jersey-cheap prices.

[bullwinkle428]

13. But the Elantra gets 40 mpg, so you should get to drive quite a bit before your next fill-up.

Or are you not seeing those numbers? Definitely curious to know, as the Elantra is one of the cars I'm thinking about to replace an aging Accord.

[customerserviceguy]

32. Mine is from 2002

and gets a bit closer to 25-30 as it ages. I'm definitely looking to replace it with another Elantra, probably quite soon before the price of fuel-efficient cars goes through the roof with $6 a gallon gas.

[muntrv]

10. Yeah Alan! Why does it cost $70 to fill your hummer despite my tax dollars subsidizing big oil?

[Bennyboy]

11. It took 82 to fill my Mini Van today...

And there was gas in it already. $3.96. Probably the last time it will be lower than 4 dollars.

[Galraedia]

14. Added another link for more on this story.

[demosincebirth]

15. Seventy bucks? Obviously his tank was only half full.

[csziggy]

23. No Hummers have itty bitty tanks considering their horrible gas mileage

My Suburban gets worse gas mileage but it has a 40 gallon tank. Now days most pumps are set to shut off at $50 or 75. To fill my tank takes two or three times around.

If I had to drive my land barge very much, I couldn't afford it. I have to have something this size to pull my horse trailer, but most of the time it sits on the farm.

According to the article in the OP, that Hummer has a 23 gallon tank. At 15 miles to the gallon, that's only a 345 mile range. I thought one of their big arguments about electric vehicles was that they have limited range. 345 miles is a pretty limited range in my mind!

[dsc]

35. I don't have much better highway range and a worse city one

My ford focus only has a 12 gallon tank. At 25 city that is 300 miles and at 35 highway that is 420 highway. I do just a bit worse now in both regards the above was when new. I still love my focus but the one downside is range due to such a small tank.

[appleannie1]

16. Hey, if you can afford a Hummer, you can afford to put gas in it. And the President is not a

speculator. If you don't like the price of gas, take it up with your high brow banker buddies.

[bluerum]

17. And surely he cannot grasp the irony and outright denial in his comments.

[JNathanK]

18. ...because its a fucking piece of millitary hardware that was never meant to be a civillian vehicle.

I honestly don't even remember gas prices being much different from what they are now under Bush. I actually heard some conservative politician or commentator claim that gas was $1.78 when Bush left office, which sounds like a total fabrication to me. I'm surprised people fall for this bullshit. People have really short term memories. I think too many people are just zonked out on anti-depressants, reality tv, and the hormones in the meat supply or something.

[csziggy]

24. Somebody posted a chart the other day for gas prices

Because of the economic crash, gas prices dropped like a rock in the fall of 2008 and had not recovered by the time Obama was inaugurated. Before the crash gas prices were as high if not higher than they are now.

[JNathanK]

25. There's really a basic lack of understanding on how economcs work in relation to oil it sounds. n/t

[Mopar151]

28. Your'e kinda wrong, but it's worse than you think

Hummer H-1's are the repurpoused military vehicle - they are fairly easy to spot "cuz they have a lot of ground clearance (well over a foot) and are very wide as well. Not very common, and big $$$$.
H-2 and H-3 Hummers are stylized imitations of the H-1, built on SUV chassis - also easy to spot, 'cuz there's like 7" of clearance under the rear differential - easy to see in traffic. They are about as "military" and "Off Road" as the Munsters Koach.

[madokie]

31. Actually it is not a piece of military hardware

Its a chevrolet/gmc pickup with a hummer shaped body on it. Nothing military about it. My old vet farts is more military than the h3 is

Here is a link to this pos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummer_H3

[Initech]

19. It costs $70 at current rate to fill my Nissan.

And I drive a sedan too.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

20. Nobody held a gun to your head and made you buy that Hummer, douchebag

And now you're mad at Obama because your car gets shitty gas mileage? The solution seems obvious...

[JDPriestly]

21. Now we know why we can't balance our budget and pay our debts.

We have spendthrift idiots like West voting on our budgets.

[kestrel91316]

22. It's the FREE MARKET, stupid.

[Zalatix]

26. Allen West, pathetic crybaby. I hope this gets back to him.

I hope I get the chance to call him that to his face.

[Warren DeMontague]

27. Because Jesus shoulda spent more time killin' dinosaurs, and less time mollycoddlin' em!

YEEE HAAAW!!!!

[mikeytherat]

29. An H3? Not even a real, H1 Hummer?

At least get a Hummer H1, Mr. Whiny West. An H3 is the poor-man's Hummer. You're driving the cheap model, Westy. How do you live knowing that you have such a small Hummer?

mikey_the_rat

[Bozita]

37. H3 - The same as the folks with the $50 Rolex watches they bought from a guy on the street

IIRC, the H3 is built on a passenger car chassis.

Fucking assclown. He oughta be running for GOPer nomination for President. It's his kinda crowd.

[hobbit709]

30. Another West Poutrage of the day.

Screw you, you damn war criminal who's making $175K+ a year.
In a just world, you would have been cashiered and be doing 20 years in Leavenworth.

[hifiguy]

34. Ask the commodity speculators and the oil companies, Einstein.

How can anyone this damned dumb manage to use the toilet without instructions and supervision?

[B Calm]

38. Republicans control congress, so why don't

they go after those Wall Street oil speculators, or even better yet nationalize the oil industry!

Oh no, instead republicans do what they do best and that's to sit on their big fat hemorrhoid asses and point their shit stained finger!!