A summer-long suspension of federal gas taxes proposed by Sen. John McCain and supported by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is being denounced as dumb by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and bad economic policy by Sen. Barack Obama.

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Bloomberg called the idea "about the dumbest thing I've heard in an awful long time, from an economic point of view. We're trying to discourage people from driving and we're trying to end our energy dependence ... and we're trying to have more money to build infrastructure."

The New York mayor, who flirted with the idea of an independent presidential bid, praised Obama for opposing the plan to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.2 cent diesel tax during the peak driving months of the summer.

Obama said Friday the proposal could cost 6,000 jobs in next week's primary state of Indiana, and accused Clinton and McCain of "reading from the same political playbook" by endorsing it.

He also said that cheaper gas would drive up demand -- and prices. "This is a plan that would save you pennies a day for the summer months. That is unless gas prices are raised to fill in the gap," Obama said.

Clinton reiterated her support for the idea Friday at a John Deere tractor dealership in Kinston, N.C., her first event in a two-day campaign swing across the state.

"All I hear about is gas prices. Gas and diesel, everywhere," she said. "Some people say we don't need to get a gas tax holiday at all, it's a gimmick ... I want the Congress to stand up and vote. Are they for the oil companies, or are they for you?"

The largest newspaper in Indiana, the Indianapolis Star, endorsed Clinton on Friday, but denounced her gas tax holiday idea as pandering to voters.

Earlier in the week Clinton, a former first lady who hasn't driven a car or pumped gas in many years because of Secret Service restrictions, joined a blue-collar worker at a Indiana filling station to illustrate how the high price of gasoline is squeezing consumers.