Hillary Clinton's last minute ad not only used images of Osama Bin Laden and Pearl Harbor, but of long gas lines in the 1970's. Being president is the "toughest job in the world," and whomever we elect must be brave and ready. It would also appear winning the presidency means ignoring inconvenient truths, or at least only discussing them when it's popular and politically expedient.

Ironic that yesterday was Earth Day. Both Hillary Clinton and John McCain support a summertime "gas tax holiday" designed to relieve Americans from gas prices predicted to hit $4 per gallon. Obama does not support the tax, but not for environmental reasons.

High gas prices are painful and it seems to a be necessary part of political pandering, especially for Democrats, that candidates talk about lowering them. Seemingly painless solutions to high energy costs will effect voter turnout. But this is the worst kind of pandering. If I had a nickel for everytime Hillary Clinton referenced high gas prices to voters in Pennsylvania I'd be able to afford my own oil rig. Did you hear her talk about conservation? No. About the fact that we are but a degree or two from an irrevocable tipping point after which there's no going back to life as normal? No.

Since women won Pennsylvania for Clinton, we need to ask her (and Obama, he's not better) to stop pandering on gas prices. We need to have an honest conversation with our leaders about sacrifice and not relegate talk and action on climate change and conservation to elite wings of the Democratic Party and to state governments. When working class, purple state votes are at stake, campaign rhetoric about the environment takes a back seat to the economy. Fair enough. But when the Earth further warms, class will only get you a ticket to higher ground, if that.

Harold Pollack wrote a great piece on gas taxes are necessary: click here