http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1415083720110114 Well, the political element to the US Economy is not doing Consumers any favors by keeping the drilling bans in place in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere as now OPEC has more leverage to raise prices. This is also an effect of a weak US dollar that will only grow weaker as more QE occurs, the value of a dollar is being dilluted and that is showing up in the price of imported goods..such as Crude Oil and Gasoline.