Barack Obama announced today that in honor of the July 4 celebration of America's revolt "against taxation without respresentation" he will join the Pray at the Pump Movement.

The PAPM, founded by Rocky Twyman, a member of the Seventh Day Adventists, has been holding prayer vigils at Exxon and Shell stations across the country. Smiling and obviously excited Obama told the impromptu presser:

I was a community organizer and I know what this involves. This is one man making a difference. It is faith based and it is spiritual. It is a man of God doing God's work. Who can be against God?

Obama refused to disclose which gas station he will turn up at in the next few days. His press corps immediately launched into a flurry of speculation. So far Pray at  the Pumpers have hit Exxon and Shell stations. But Wednesday they turned their prayers on the Embassy  of Saudi Arabia in Washington D.C.

Obama announced in response to a question about the Embassy pray-in.

"No. No. No.  I don't think praying at the Saudi Embassy, is a good idea The Saudis understand our concerns well enough. We don't need to seem to attack them directly. Besides they are Muslims. They could care less about a bunch of Jesus freaks.

He then told one of the women in the press throng:

I don't understand your question, sweetie, No one said Jesus freaks. You misheard me. Easy to do out here in the wind.   I am a devout man of faith. I take my religion and my preacher seriously. That would be contrary to everything I believe.

On the issue of his beliefs, another reporter questioned the presumed Democratic nominee about his stand on Iraq. Obama has been reported as saying recently that based on his upcoming visit there, his view of when the troops might come home, could be adjusted.  He explained:

One simply cannot  know in advance what sort of expedient position the President will be required to take. But I am sure all of my supporters and the American people can rest easy in the knowledge that I have no qualms changing my position to suit whatever situation arises.

Obama then blew the woman reporter a kiss and turned away from the impromptu presser. As he stepped into the waiting limousine and the reporters melted away, one bystander was seen picking a paper off the ground. It was headed:

Senator Obama's Impromptus Remarks on Pray at the Pumpers. Staff note: Remember, this should appear to be spontaneous.

Twyman, who prompted the first national campaign aimed at getting African Americans to become bone marrow donors, who still did not know of Obama's support, was reported later as saying:

I think we have just entered a new phase. We were in the prayerful phase, but now we're going into a more activist phase, because we feel that whole faith without works is dead.

John Neurohr from the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, has a different approach to managing the high gas prices.

There is little, if anything, the average person can do to reduce gas prices generally. What they can do is reduce their personal dependence on gasoline by carpooling and utilizing public transportation.

Obama rejected the riding the bus idea. Not prayerful and faith-based enough. He wants to win evangelicals to his side, and praying at the pump is by far the best publicity op.

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Pa ge=/Nation/archive/200807/NAT20080703a.h tml

***Disclaimer. Senator Obama has held no such press conference and his views on Pray at the Pump are unknown at this time. However, while I support him because he is the Democratic Party nominee, I can readily imagine this happening.