--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hillary Clinton has decided to line up…" description: "\"Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon, for this summer'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/thomas-friedman-1784_arabia_hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-w_58910.png" --- # Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in… ![“Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon, for this summer's travel season. This is not an energy policy. This is money laundering: we borrow money from China and ship it to Saudi Arabia and take a little…” quote by Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/thomas-friedman-1784_arabia_hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-w_58910.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/thomas-friedman-1784_arabia_hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-w_58910.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/thomas-friedman-1784_arabia_hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-w_58910.png) > “Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon, for this summer's travel season. This is not an energy policy. This is money laundering: we borrow money from China and ship it to Saudi Arabia and take a little cut for ourselves as it goes through our gas tanks. What a way to build our country.” [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker claims the gasoline tax suspension is a financial scheme benefiting elites, not a genuine energy policy, implying corruption and foreign influence. **In simple terms:** Tax suspension is a money‑making scheme, not policy. Key Takeaway Policy can mask profit motives. Themes corruption energy policy foreign influence taxation political rhetoric Mood skeptical critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - government budgeting - energy legislation - campaign finance - public perception Key Concepts tax policy energy economics political manipulation Practical Applications - policy analysis - public advocacy Questions to Reflect On - Does this claim reflect evidence or political bias? - How do tax policies affect public trust? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arabia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arabia/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Energy policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy-policy/) [Money laundering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-laundering/) [Saudis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saudis/) [Seasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seasons/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [Tanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tanks/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) ## Related quotes > [My family is blue-collar - coal miners and steelworkers. My father was an automobile mechanic, and us boys were brought up to work. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/my-family-is-blue-collar-coal-miners-and-steelworkers-my-father-was/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [Back then, the excise tax was designed to be a luxury tax for people who owned telephones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-fitzpatrick/back-then-the-excise-tax-was-designed-to-be-a-luxury-tax-for-people/) [Mike Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-fitzpatrick/) > [The sales tax is the best and most equitable tax. The gasoline tax, which is nothing but a sales tax, has proven painless, productive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-sales-tax-is-the-best-and-most-equitable-tax-the-gasoline-tax/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [One of the things we worry about when we cut the tax on gasoline is that it basically stimulates additional use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lazear/one-of-the-things-we-worry-about-when-we-cut-the-tax-on-gasoline-is/) Edward Lazear > [What I've seen around the world is if the regulatory desires are combined with things that affect consumer behavior - such as in Europe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wagoner/what-i-ve-seen-around-the-world-is-if-the-regulatory-desires-are/) [Rick Wagoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wagoner/) > [If elected, I will work with federal leaders to rehouse the non-immigration enforcement functions of ICE - including human trafficking and money laundering investigations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/if-elected-i-will-work-with-federal-leaders-to-rehouse-the-non/) [Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/) > [“And so, at a December 1981 meeting, Contra leaders, whom Reagan referred to as the “moral equivalent of the Founding Fathers,” floated the idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-anderson/and-so-at-a-december-1981-meeting-contra-leaders-whom-reagan-referred/) [Carol Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-anderson/) > [An ordinary person who wants to invest in the stock market or a mutual fund, or simply open a saving bank account, is bombarded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sucheta-dalal/an-ordinary-person-who-wants-to-invest-in-the-stock-market-or-a/) [Sucheta Dalal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sucheta-dalal/) > [I guess the main thing that came out of the Panama Papers was that Ukrainian President Poroshenko had promised to divest of his chocolate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/i-guess-the-main-thing-that-came-out-of-the-panama-papers-was-that/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [“Compact trash into a cube. Then slice it into thin layers and BOOM—you’ve got pieces of modern art. Each sliver belongs in a museum,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/compact-trash-into-a-cube-then-slice-it-into-thin-layers-and-boom-you/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“The ongoing reports continue to demonstrate years of the most horrendous and systematic looting, stealing, corruption, money laundering and abuse of our state agencies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-pauw/the-ongoing-reports-continue-to-demonstrate-years-of-the-most/) [Jacques Pauw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-pauw/) > [Terrorists are linked to money laundering, dirty money, drug dealing, arms trafficking. We have to ask ourselves, where do terrorists get their weapons from?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/terrorists-are-linked-to-money-laundering-dirty-money-drug-dealing/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [It's bad form to mention money-laundering. Instead, you talk about asset-management structures and tax beneficial schemes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sweeney/it-s-bad-form-to-mention-money-laundering-instead-you-talk-about/) [John Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sweeney/) > [After Trump became president, it was really too late to investigate his dodgy investments in Azerbaijan or his links to Russian money laundering. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/after-trump-became-president-it-was-really-too-late-to-investigate/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [“The drastic move came after months of infighting between the old guard and the F.I.A.’s director, René Brülhart, a Swiss anti-money-laundering expert, charged with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-drastic-move-came-after-months-of-infighting-between-the-old/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Thomas Friedman > [I'm pretty much an open book. I am a fanatic golfer and golf nut. If I have three free hours any day, my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/i-m-pretty-much-an-open-book-i-am-a-fanatic-golfer-and-golf-nut-if-i/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [The financial crisis just made the hole deeper, which is why our stimulus needs to be both big and smart, both financially and educationally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/the-financial-crisis-just-made-the-hole-deeper-which-is-why-our/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Many jobs at Google require math, computing, and coding skills, so if your good grades truly reflect skills in those areas that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/many-jobs-at-google-require-math-computing-and-coding-skills-so-if/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Never before in the history of the planet have so many people, on their own, had the ability to find so much information about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/never-before-in-the-history-of-the-planet-have-so-many-people-on/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [When I was growing up, my parents told me, 'Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving.' I tell my daughters, 'Finish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/when-i-was-growing-up-my-parents-told-me-finish-your-dinner-people-in/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Two things are going on at the same time with the flattening of the world: The relentless quest for efficiency is squeezing some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/two-things-are-going-on-at-the-same-time-with-the-flattening-of-the/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Our president's latest energy initiative was to go to Saudi Arabia and beg King Abdullah to give us a little relief on gasoline prices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/our-president-s-latest-energy-initiative-was-to-go-to-saudi-arabia/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [I don't think the Arab Spring had much to do with energy. I think it was just the opposite, in fact. I think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/i-don-t-think-the-arab-spring-had-much-to-do-with-energy-i-think-it/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Until we fully understand what turned two brothers who allegedly perpetrated the Boston Marathon bombings into murderers, it is hard to make any policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/until-we-fully-understand-what-turned-two-brothers-who-allegedly/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Geopolitics is all about leverage. We cannot make ourselves safer abroad unless we change our behavior at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/geopolitics-is-all-about-leverage-we-cannot-make-ourselves-safer/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Big breakthroughs happen when what is suddenly possible meets what is desperately needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/big-breakthroughs-happen-when-what-is-suddenly-possible-meets-what-is/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [That's right-the striking thing about greenhouse gases is the diversity of sources that emit them. A herd of cattle belching can be worse than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/that-s-right-the-striking-thing-about-greenhouse-gases-is-the/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [There is something more severe than the problem with Thomas Friedman, which can be generalized to represent someone causing action while being completely unaccountable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/there-is-something-more-severe-than-the-problem-with-thomas-friedman/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Pessimists are usually right and optimists are usually wrong but all the great changes have been accomplished by optimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/pessimists-are-usually-right-and-optimists-are-usually-wrong-but-all/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Water is our next great environmental challenge. It is the new oil. How are we going to preserve this sport unless we are designing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/water-is-our-next-great-environmental-challenge-it-is-the-new-oil-how/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) [Explore all 208 Thomas Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) ## More Arabia quotes > [There is nothing in the desert and no man needs nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david/there-is-nothing-in-the-desert-and-no-man-needs-nothing/) [David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david/) > [You know, in Saudi Arabia, you're innocent until proven Jewish. Female. Guilty! They're guilty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/you-know-in-saudi-arabia-you-re-innocent-until-proven-jewish-female/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [America is the Saudi Arabia of coal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/america-is-the-saudi-arabia-of-coal/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [In Saudi Arabia, among other countries, Muslims are not free to convert to Christianity, and Christians are not free to practice their faith. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/in-saudi-arabia-among-other-countries-muslims-are-not-free-to-convert/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [“When you fear nothing, you have nothing to fear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-f-chandler/when-you-fear-nothing-you-have-nothing-to-fear/) S.F. Chandler > [We're defending Saudi Arabia? And with all of the money they have, we're defending them, and they're not paying? All you have to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-re-defending-saudi-arabia-and-with-all-of-the-money-they-have-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Our president's latest energy initiative was to go to Saudi Arabia and beg King Abdullah to give us a little relief on gasoline prices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/our-president-s-latest-energy-initiative-was-to-go-to-saudi-arabia/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Like so many Boomers, I saw 'Lawrence of Arabia' in 1962 when it was first released and when we were young teenagers. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/like-so-many-boomers-i-saw-lawrence-of-arabia-in-1962-when-it-was/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [The Treasury Department would use the interest from these securities to hire U.S. companies to build Saudi Arabia - new cities, new infrastructure -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/the-treasury-department-would-use-the-interest-from-these-securities/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [They chose me for Lawrence of Arabia because I spoke English, had black hair, black eyes and a moustache. It was all luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sharif/they-chose-me-for-lawrence-of-arabia-because-i-spoke-english-had/) [Omar Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sharif/) > [Avatar is a watershed movie. We'll always refer to Lawrence of Arabia in the same way. We'll always look at Avatar and say, "That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/avatar-is-a-watershed-movie-we-ll-always-refer-to-lawrence-of-arabia/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [There is always the risk that a conflagration in the Middle East becomes larger and more dangerous. In this scenario, we discover that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bremmer/there-is-always-the-risk-that-a-conflagration-in-the-middle-east/) [Ian Bremmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bremmer/) > [My favorite movie is Lawrence Of Arabia. But that's a long, long movie. So although I've seen it several times, it's not as fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/my-favorite-movie-is-lawrence-of-arabia-but-that-s-a-long-long-movie/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [Sadly, a U.S. invasion of Iraq 'would threaten the whole stability of the Middle East' - or so Amr Moussa, secretary-general of the Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/sadly-a-u-s-invasion-of-iraq-would-threaten-the-whole-stability-of/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [ What is common among all of these groups \[Taliban, Islamic State etc.\] is the intent to destroy. The majority of terrorists who come to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/what-is-common-among-all-of-these-groups-taliban-islamic-state-etc-is/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) [Browse all 343 Arabia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arabia/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon, for this summer's travel season. This is not an energy policy. This is money laundering: we borrow money from China and ship it to Saudi Arabia and take a little cut for ourselves as it goes through our gas tanks. What a way to build our country.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Friedman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-with-john-mccain-in-pushing-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arabia" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-with-john-mccain-in-pushing-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/thomas-friedman-1784_arabia_hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-w_58910.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/thomas-friedman-1784_arabia_hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-w_58910.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/thomas-friedman-1784_arabia_hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-w_58910.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on…” — Thomas Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Friedman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Hillary Clinton has decided to line...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-with-john-mccain-in-pushing-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-with-john-mccain-in-pushing-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```