A suggestion by presidential hopeful Barack Obama that Americans save money and conserve gasoline by ensuring that their tires are properly inflated is now the butt of a joke from rival John McCain's presidential campaign.
Monday morning, the McCain campaign distributed tire pressure gauges to reporters on site and sent an e-mail to supporters offering them an "Obama Energy Plan" tire pressure gauge in exchange for a $25 donation.
However, keeping tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage by around 3.3 percent, resulting in savings of up to $0.12 per gallon, according to the government's website www.fueleconomy.gov.
In the McCain campaign's letter to supporters, campaign manager Rick Davis mocked the proposal.
"Today, I'm asking for your help in putting Senator Obama's 'tire gauge' energy policy to the test. With an immediate donation of $25 or more, we will send you an "Obama Energy Plan" tire pressure gauge," he wrote. "Will simply inflating your tires reduce the financial burden of high gas prices on your wallet?"
John McCain's proposal during the primary for a "gas tax holiday" from Memorial Day to Labor Day, aimed at giving Americans a small break from record gasoline prices that have led many to stay home instead of hitting the roads during the summer driving season. That proposal would have eliminated the federal gasoline tax of $0.184 cents per gallon nationwide.
However, the proposed gas tax holiday was widely criticized by economists, who noted that the actual savings would likely translate to far less than $0.184 per gallon, and it would take money out of the federal infrastructure repair fund.
Colorado-based economist Philip Verleger called the proposal a "bad idea" when it was first discussed in April.
"What we need to do is send consumer a signal that prices are high and are going higher and they need to plan and conserve," Verleger said in an interview with RTT News. "In the extreme, the people who really benefit this will be Osama bin Laden and the terrorists."
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.