Crist Agrees with Obama on Way to Conserve Gas

Governor Charlie Crist says he still urges people to make sure their car tires are properly inflated to conserve gasoline, despite John McCain’s jabs at Barack Obama for making the same suggestion.

John McCain and his Republican Party are gleefully mocking Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s suggestion that properly inflated tires could help save oil.

Republicans are ridiculing the suggestion that inflated tires could be the solution to dependence on foreign oil. The Republican National Committee is mailing donors tire gauges that say “Obama Energy Plan” in exchange for $25 donations.

But Obama’s claim isn’t just a Democratic position. It has also been made by some Republicans, including Governor Charlie Crist.

The Department of Energy estimates that keeping tires properly inflated can help improve gas mileage by about 3.3 percent.

Crist says he’s not backing off his comments that proper tire pressure can save Americans a lot of gasoline. He says the McCain campaign is using the tire pressure issue to emphasize the need for a much larger comprehensive energy package, which includes opening new areas off the coast of the U.S. to drilling.

Obama has said recently that he would reluctantly consider accepting some new offshore oil drilling. Obama previously opposed any offshore drilling.

Lately, however, he has cited “very constructive” talks between Senate Republicans and Democrats on this issue. He praised a plan unveiled by a group of Republican and Democratic senators to permit drilling while supporting an effort to convert most vehicles to alternative fuels in 20 years.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)