Higher gas prices cloud Obama’s re-election hopes

WASHINGTON — Soar­ing gaso­line prices are threat­en­ing to under­cut Pres­i­dent Barack Obama’s re-election prospects and offer­ing Repub­li­cans an easy tar­get. With prices push­ing $4 a gal­lon and threat­en­ing to go even higher, Obama sought Thurs­day to con­front ris­ing pub­lic anx­i­ety and strike back at his GOP critics.