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President Obama said Thursday that there are no “quick fixes” for rising gasoline prices that are threatening the economic recovery. Gas prices have risen 29 cents per gallon since December, with regular-grade gas now averaging $3.64 a gallon in the Washington region at a time of year when consumers usually enjoy a respite from price hikes. The high cost at the pump could turn into an election-year issue for the president, whose approval ratings have surged recently as the economy improved. Republicans, sensing an opportunity, have blamed Obama for not giving oil companies greater freedom to drill for new U.S. supplies that might ease prices, according to the Washington Post. But the president is hitting back. Read the story or watch the video above.

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