Rep. Allen West Slams Obama Over Cost of Filling Up His Hummer

(EndPlay Staff Reports) - U.S. Rep. Allen West, a Florida Republican, has a new reason to dislike President Obama. His latest complaint, though, isn't getting him many fans.

West, shortly before Obama was to speak about energy policy, posted a rant on his Facebook page . His latest frustration is how much it's costing to fill his vehicle.

"Here is the bottom line, last night it took 70 dollars to fill the tank of my 2008 H3 Hummer, what is it costing you?" he asked. "What does it cost the President to fill his gas tank?"

West's shortfall is that he's using a vehicle typically used as an example of excess, not moderation, in today's debates about the energy crisis.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's fueleconomy.gov website , that year of Hummer would average almost $3,600 a year in fuel costs for someone driving an average of 15,000 miles. A more fuel-efficient Ford Focus would be less than $2,000 a year.

"Is it really a good idea to use your Hummer to argue gas prices are too high?" blogged Justin Hyde of the Yahoo! Autos blog .

"Saying gas costs too much based on your H3 – which sports an average fuel economy of 16 to 18 mpg – seems akin to arguing Americans have grown too fat at the drive-through window of a Carl Jr.'s."

West also faced criticism on Facebook.

"Why don't you start driving a hybrid car if you're complaining about gas prices," one reader of his rant asked. "It's not Obama's fault that the gas prices are going up. Look at other countries who are demanding more oil than us like China."