How much will rising gas prices affect your vote for president?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Americans' pain at the pump could translate to pain at the polls for President Obama come November.
The national average for gas now tops $3.80 a gallon.
According to AAA, gas prices are almost at - or above - $4 a gallon in nine states - plus the District of Columbia.
Hawaii has the nation's most expensive gasoline at $4.44 a gallon.
Wyoming has the cheapest gas prices at about $3.30 a gallon.
As history has shown time and again, rising gas prices usually wind up hurting the guy in the White House.
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows President Obama's ratings falling as gasoline prices rise.
The poll shows almost 2/3 of Americans say they disapprove of how the president is handling gas prices. That's the lowest rating he gets on any issue in this poll.
Also, most Americans say higher gas prices are already affecting their family finances.
And almost half say they think gas prices will keep going higher.
When it comes to the economy, 59% of Americans give the president negative ratings.
If gasoline prices continue their upward march they could impact the outcome of the election.
Exit polls from Super Tuesday showed almost 8 in 10 voters said rising gas prices were an important factor in their vote. And that's before summer driving season gets under way.
According to a recent Gallup Poll, Americans on average say gas prices of $5.30 to $5.35 per gallon would force major life changes.
Most Americans say they want the president and Congress to take action on rising gas prices.
Here’s my question to you: How much will rising gas prices affect your vote for president?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Should applicants for jobless benefits have to pass a drug test?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Arizona could become the first state to require drug tests for applicants for unemployment benefits.
This was part of the deal when Congress agreed last month to extend jobless benefits through the end of the year. That legislation allows states to require drug testing for people who lost their jobs because they failed an employer's drug test - or for those applying for jobs where drug testing is common.
The Arizona State Senate has approved this bill and now it will go to the House for a vote. The Bill's sponsor tells the Huffington Post he would have pushed for this legislation even if Congress hadn't paved the way.
Republican State Senator Steve Smith says the unemployed are fortunate to live in a country where there are programs to help people survive when they're looking for work.
He says the least applicants should do is prove they're of "sound mind to get a job."
Supporters of these drug tests say businesses shouldn't have to subsidize illegal activity. They suggest that workers could also increase their chances of getting hired if they prove they're drug-free.
But critics say drug testing is costly - that it could cost millions for states to administer. They also say drug tests stigmatize the jobless as drug addicts.
Arizona could also run into some resistance here. That's because Congress has left it up to the labor department to determine how many unemployment applicants get drug tests.
Here’s my question to you: Should applicants for jobless benefits have to pass a drug test?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
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