I took the bus to Philadelphia this weekend, because it’s just too expensive to drive. I made sure to take note throughout my trip of the incredibly high gas prices between D.C. and Philly. I didn’t see any regular gas under $4/gallon. On my ride back last night, it hit me that President Bush was asked a few months ago about the rising gas prices and the prospect of prices hitting $4/gallon. He shrugged of the notion that prices would get that high, even in the face of analysts predictions. This was the line of questioning from a CBS news reporter on February 29, 2008:

Peter Maer of CBS News Radio asked: “What’s your advice to the average American who is hurting now, facing the prospect of $4-a-gallon gasoline, a lot of people facing … ”

“Wait, what did you just say?” the president interrupted. “You’re predicting $4-a-gallon gasoline?”

Maer responded: “A number of analysts are predicting $4-a-gallon gasoline.”

Bush’s rejoinder: “Oh, yeah? That’s interesting. I hadn’t heard that.”

Hadn’t heard that? Maybe that’s because President Bush doesn’t have to buy gas, or pay utility bills - the tax payers cover that for him.

Bush went further to reject the idea that gas could hit $4/gallon.

The president, however, had difficulty grasping the possibility, even after Maer told him.

“You just said the price of gasoline may be up to $4 a gallon — or some expert told you that,” Bush repeated. “That creates a lot of uncertainty.”

Here’s some video of that press conference.

Bush was asked about the rising gas prices back in February and here we are in June, about to enter the heavy summer driving months and gas now looks like it could top $5, or more in the near future. We need to remind people that Bush is wildly out of touch and that he doesn’t understand the problems people are facing filling up their cars everyday.

Maybe a reporter should ask John McCain to respond to Bush’s naivety on this important issue for the American people. I’d be interested to see what McCain’s response would be? Would he embrace Bush’s brazen aloofness, or would he have to further distance himself from his fundraiser-in-chief?

More: H/T to Jeff for sending in the “$4/gallon remix.”

One of the things we’re paying close attention to on this trip is gas prices. Not only because we’re driving a 1998 Toyota Sienna that doesn’t exactly get the greatest gas mileage, but also because gas and energy prices are clearly weighing heavily on the mind of the electorate. Everyone we talk to acknowledges that energy independence has to be a goal and there are signs of new thinking here in the midwest, namely the presence of some E-85 pumps. But it’s still the cost of gas that is hitting working people (and podcasters) in their pockets, and therefore the voting booth.

We’ve noticed a very suspicious and conspicuous pattern on this trip: the redder the state, the cheaper the gas. As we came across New York prices began dropping, plunging below $2 in Ohio, heading back up when we went to Michigan, dropping again in Indiana and Illinois, and then going up once more as we crossed into Wisconsin. Conspiracy? Well with OPEC set to cut oil production levels, the NYT seems to think so.

The group’s most influential member, Saudi Arabia, has remained conspicuously silent. The Saudis are understood to support a production cut, but OPEC watchers reason that the country, which accounts for one-third of OPEC’s output, wants to be discreet, with midterm elections in the United States just a few weeks away.

The Saudis still need their money, but they’re willing to wait a few weeks to help out an old friend. We need a Congress that is not bought and paid for by the oil companies and the Bush-Saudi cartel. Voting blue is the best way to do that.