If President Obama can bring down gas prices, that should really help his flagging approval ratings. The president announced Thursday that he’d be putting together a special task force to examine rising costs, which have recently surged to $4 per gallon. “We’re going to make sure that no one is taking advantage of the American people for their own short-term gain,” Obama announced, pledging to “root out” fraud in the oil markets. The populist appeal of the move—Obama unveiled it at a campaign-style town hall meeting—is especially evident given that Attorney General Eric Holder recently dismissed any shady goings-on in the markets, citing “lawful reasons for increases in gas prices, given supply and demand.”
