With North Carolina in play for the 2008 primaries, the candidates are rolling out the same old, tired class warfare.

Recently, an Obama radio ad railed against Exxon’s profits versus the price of gas. This is a disingenuous comparison. The rhetoric is based on comparing gross income to price. The true measure of a company’s profitability is its profit margin. It measures how much out of every dollar of sales a company actually keeps in earnings. Exxon’s 2007 profit margin was 10 cents on the dollar.

While no one likes paying $3.50 for gas, comparing that to the gross income of a corporation serves no purpose other than to inflame class envy and pander for votes.

It’s funny that Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton do not mention that, on average, gas taxes at all levels take up 45.9 cents per gallon.

It is time for the American people to wake up and see past the tired class-warfare rhetoric that is allowing the government to usurp more and more of our liberties in the name of “fairness.”

THOMAS C. IMLER
Clayton