Yes, that moment was striking. Of course Clinton and McCain are going to try to slap him around with it. She has already been hitting the airwaives saying he did it in Ill and doesn't want to share with Indy & NC.

At least he was honest enough to admit that trying it in Illinois didn't work which illustrates that he doesn't just pull ideas out of thin air.

I am sick to death of that "insanity..." trope. The bar for insanity is set much, much higher. What that tired cliche describes is an inability to learn from experience. Nothing more. Please add it to the list of things we never hope to hear again.

In this matter, Obama simply showed that he is able to learn from experience, and realizes it. McCain and Clinton, on the other hand, are unwilling to listen to people who do in fact know what they are talking about. Kind of like...Bush!

He was for it before he was against it.

Sound familiar?

He wants to do nothing so Obama supporters should stop whining about gas prices.

Clinton supporters want them to start doing something.

We will win this issue like the rest.

MassDem, I'm so sorry that you missed the full exchange. Russert leaned into Obama after the full answer and said, smiling "You mean you learned from your mistake." Obama smiled and totally agreed. It was a real indication of what Russert thought. It was beautiful!

Yeah, it shouldn't be "the definition of insanity." It's really "the definition of stupidity." But (strangely perhaps) it's more polite to call someone "insane" than "stupid." At least when you call someone "insane" they can come back that, no, it's really you who are crazy. If you say they're "stupid," they're pretty much stuck with either proclaiming their own genius, or arguing that you're stupid too.

The other point here is that a sales tax holiday is supposed to help with consumption of stuff like clothing, hardware - generally stuff that it's a net positive if people acquire, and merchants sell more of. It's stuff we're not running out of, that we don't buy from terrorist funders. Gasoline isn't like that.

As I learned from a very successful entrepreneur: "If you're not making mistakes, you're not trying enough new things to make any significant progress. Incremental gains are the best you can hope for without the courage to make mistakes and learn from them."

And give him time -- he'll have a chance to make those decisions about war too.

he didn't admit he did it for Il, but he voted 3 times for it, so, why didn't he SAY he offered it to Il?

why didn't he say we tried it in IL when I was senator and it didn't work? Except it did.

I speculate, he was reading lines and didn't believe it had the desired effect,which was *temporary* a little bit of scratch since things have become so expensive.

Truckers pass the cost along to consumers are the ones affected that bring food to market. Those are the ones who would benefit most.

Most of us realize it isn't a fix all, its TEMPORARY to ease some of the high costs lately in EVERYTHING.

Except to Hillary haters because she can't do right. Hey so what's Obama's solution?He can be a killjoy, but I like the one that brings with solutions. Obama is absent and not ready for prime time.

Clinton's position on the gas tax is an excellent reason not to vote for her. Say anything to get elected, even if it actually hurts us in the long run.

Getting rid of the gas tax is a horrible idea. After sitting by and letting Detroit churn out gas guzzling vehicles, we now take money out of our own pockets to help anyone who wants to drive do more of it. If she really wants to help the american tax payer, find a way to target help to those who need it. The people who can't afford to drive to work, not the ones who just want to continue their wasteful lifestyles at the expense of our roads and public transit systems.

I have always believed that "experience" is a false narrative. If you do not learn from your experiences what does it matter? Someone may have 35 years of "experience" -- as Hillary claims and McCain likewise -- and still not have the good sense to know making different choices produces different outcomes.

Up until it became politically unpopular Hillary cheered on the Iraq war. When asked if she regrets the decision now she answered, I wish I could take my vote back. So does what does that mean? She not only voted to give carte blanche to Bush for Iraq she did likewise when she voted for the Kyl-Lieberman bill regarding Iran, although she claims the latter does not give Bush the same powers. However, it's close. Furthermore following in Bush's footsteps using bellicose language Hillary's recent threats to obliterate Iran, if it attacks Israel, not only has international implications it shows a lack of "experience."

By all indications McCain's "experience" has done little to teach him how to solve problems, either. He proposes recreating the G-8 without China in-addition to replacing the United Nations with a League of Democracies that would exclude Russia, China, Singapore, Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Morocco etc... In a global economy policies of hostility and exclusion are apt to alienate America further and create more problems if not start a cold war. While willing to, albeit falsely, claim he criticized the war's execution in the beginning McCain refuses to admit the Iraq war was a mistake. That is what McCain's "experience" has taught him.

Granted Hillary Clinton and John McCain have more "experience" in years, but their unwillingness to make different decisions or admit to mistakes leave a lot to be desired.

In contrast Obama easily acknowledged his mistake which in and of itself is significant; It shows strength of integrity with a willingness to change the outcome. His pragmatic and sensible approach to solving problematic situations coupled with nuanced, objective thinking and confidence in himself proves experience taught him well. For those reasons I have complete confidence in Barack Obama's leadership abilities.

Notably "years of experience" versus "learned from experience" have starkly different outcomes. I choose the latter.

He made a similar remark to Matt Lauer, this morning.

What few mention is that Obama was not touting the tax reduction in order to win an election.

Unless we change the fundamentals, prices are going to stay high.

Is saw a speech last year by Ray Kurweil, he claims we could develop solar based electric within a 15 year span as the price of the panels will drop due to nano-manufacturing. It's clean, renewable and a real chage.

We need a president that understands the complexities of what it will take to turn these possibilties into reality.

There are three industries involved 1) Global Oil
2) Electric Generation 3) Automakers. (Note the coal industry is also a factor, since 92% is used for electric generation)

The Telsa roadster is beyond what most Americans can afford. But so was a plasma TV ten years ago.
GM lost 3.3 billion last year. Hard for them to invest heavy in R&D while they are swiming in red. So we see a start up, like Telsa coming along. Apadt of fall by they wayside.

The future can be bright if we lay the ground work today and that takes a uniter not a divider.

We have not inherited the past from our founding fathers, but rather are borrowing the future from our children.

Unfortunately, this is the same Obama that just threw his pastor of 20 years, and so-called friend, under the bus for political gain. We're supposed to believe that for the past 20 years, Obama had no idea what Black Liberation theology was, nor that his pastor was a leading proponent of that theology.

The moral cowardice and opportunism of Obama's act was breathtaking. When you tie this action to his refusal to stand up for the right to choose, his refusal to stand up for universal healthcare, and his endorsement of private military contractors, it's hard to see this current position on the tax holiday as anything other than a opportunistic attempt to score points against his opponents.

After seeing the way Obama treated his "friend" of 20 years, I certainly wouldn't want him for a "friend." And, we already have a lying, opportunistic coward in the Oval Office. Why do want to put another in there?

Thanks.

mp