Democrat Barack Obama’s plan to bring the debate over gas prices straight to the pumps hit a roadblock Wednesday.
What sounded like a great way to reach a captive audience as they pumped $4-a-gallon gas into their car crashed and burned quickly when the company that sells spots on small, gas pump televisions rejected the idea.
Drivers upset by high fuel costs would have seen an ad saying Republican John McCain voted against alternative energy and higher mileage standards as gas prices soared. As the dollars continued adding up on the pump, drivers would have then heard that Obama would give them a $1,000 energy rebate and make energy independence a priority.
But just as the campaign announced the ads were ready to roll in Tampa, Orlando and Miami, Gas Station TV decided to reject them.
The Michigan-based company’s CEO, David Leider, said the company was considering running campaign ads on the mini-televisions, but decided Wednesday that wouldn’t be such a good idea. That’s the same day he saw Obama’s ad, which says the candidate will seek policies that lower gas consumption.
Leider, though, said the decision had nothing to do with the ad’s message.
“We avoid politics in general,” he said.
But the Obama campaign said the company gave a different reason for rejecting the ad: It was too damaging to the oil industry.
“It looks like Gas Station TV doesn’t want the American people to know about Senator Obama’s plan to offer working families a $1,000 energy rebate that would be funded by a tax on oil company profits” said Mark Bubriski, Obama’s Florida spokesman.
Abdullah Saeed’s Hulu Series “Deli Boys” Has Laughter and Chaos In Store
Abdullah Saeed wasn't looking to write a groundbreaking comedy. He was just looking for a job.
The "Deli Boys" creator wrote a sample script in 2019, hoping to secure a staff position in a writers' room after transitioning from journalism to screenwriting. ("Nobody was buying my documentaries," jokes Saeed.) He had recently co-written a script for a feature film, but needed something to showcase his own voice.
Saeed sat down to write without worry about representing his entire community, and decided to freely create a show that was as lighthearted as he is.
"The pressure was off because I didn't think it was going to be a TV show. I was just like, 'OK, whatever, I think that's funny,'" said the Pakistani American writer.
"Deli Boys" soon landed in front of television writers and producers Jenni Konner ("Girls") and Nora Silver ("Single Drunk Female"), who immediately wanted to do more than hire Saeed. They wanted to develop the half-hour pilot and bring it to life.
"It was so unique and so funny and fresh, and (there is) nothing like that in the world, ever," said Konner who later brought on showrunner Michelle Nader ("2 Broke Girls").
The 10-episode Hulu original comedy presented by Onyx Collective stars Saagar Shaikh ("Ms. Marvel"), Asif Ali ("WandaVision") and Poorna Jagannathan. Premiering today (3/6), "Deli Boys" follows two Pakistani American brothers, Raj and Mir — played by Shaikh and Ali — who lose their comfortable lifestyles after their convenience store mogul father (Iqbal Theba) dies unexpectedly from a golfing accident. Raj and Mir must now work together to take over the family business, but soon learn they are in way over their heads when they discover the stores were a front for cocaine... Read More