I know, I know.  Another post on gas prices, but I’m just doing my job and proving my point.  Gas prices will be a major source of concern for the Obama Administration and the Obama re-elect campaign.  Governor Mitch Daniels drives this point home by not just exposing the President’s record, but also the comments coming from Cabinet level officials.

“Secretary Chu said $8 are about what they pay in Europe. It would be great. Secretary Salazar said $10 and it still wouldn’t be for drilling in the places where we know there’s an awful lot of domestic production. And so, they have gotten the doubling of gas prices and perhaps worse, it’s a conscious policy of this administration. Maybe the one thing they set out to do and actually accomplished.”

Of course, this echoes what I wrote last week with a little help while citing the Wall Street Journal:

According to the Greater New Orleans Gulf Permits Index for January 31, over the previous three months the feds issued an average of three deep-water drilling permits a month compared to the historical average of seven. Over the same three months, the feds approved an average of 4.7 shallow-water permits a month, compared to the historical average of 14.7.

Approval of an offshore drilling plan now takes 92 days, 31 more than the historical average. And so far in 2012, an average of 23% of all drilling plans have been approved, compared to the average of 73.4%.

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The reality is that most of the increase in U.S. oil and gas production has come despite the Obama Administration. It is flowing from the shale boom, which is the result of private technological advances and investment. Mr. Obama has seen the energy sun rise and is crowing like a rooster that he made it happen.

As the national average of gas prices rise, the economy will continue to be negatively affected.  As that happens, the talking points should grow louder and stronger for Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.  As I tweeted last week, that in addition to the National Debt (which will reach $16 TRILLION by the end of September), the economy and jobs, gas prices need to be the sole focus of any talking points against President Obama to have hopes of beating him in November.