Democrats; the party of car salesmen

Yesterday’s Democrat radio address told us that Republicans don’t care about our gas mileage, according to the Washington Examiner;

In their weekly radio address, Democrats on Saturday called for a new direction in energy policy, away from gas-guzzling automobiles and reliance on foreign oil.

“America deserves more fuel efficient cars,” Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington said. But she added “the only way consumers are going to get more out of a tank of gas is if the president and his party help deliver votes in a narrowly divided Congress.”

It’s widely expected the Senate will approve some sort of increase in auto fuel economy as part of an energy bill it hopes to finish in the coming weeks.

The Senate bill would require automakers to increase the fuel economy of new cars, SUVs and pickups beginning in 2020 to a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon. It currently is 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.2 mpg for SUVs and small trucks.

Cantwell claimed that we need to head in a new direction. This is the same direction that Democrats have been harping about since the last time Rosie O’Donnell shaved her legs. A new direction for our indepedence from foreign oil would be drilling our own available reserves and increasing refinery capacity – like Jimmy Carter promised that Democrats would do in his “Malaise Speech“;

…when this nation critically needs a refinery or a pipeline, we will build it.

That was in 1979 – we haven’t built a new refinery since 1977 mainly because Democrats have stood in the way of new refineries and new drilling operations. So, in the meantime, Cuba, with China’s help, is exploring the Gulf of Mexico’s waters between Cuba and the US. Have the Democrats done anything about that? Nope – they think that somehow blocking drilling while demanding better CAFE standards from automakers (who are already struggling in the marketing) makes more sense and can be called a “solution” to our energy woes. DO they think that back-ass-wards Cuba and China will care much about the environment off of our own coast?

Cantwell said;

“America’s strength lies in our ability to invent new and better ways of doing things,” she said. “The challenge we face now is transforming America’s energy policy – one that is well over 50 years old and too reliant of fossil fuels – to one that will make America a global leader again in energy technology and get us off our over-dependence on foreign oil.”

So Democrats think they can mandate science. Just by making government standards, business will automatically develop solutions in response.  Are we being governed by kindergarten students?

They also think that Americans won’t mind being told that we have to drive under-powered crap-boxes like the Japanese inflict on our national sensibilities these days. Real Americans love their cars and I don’t think the Democrats are going to get much mileage out of telling Americans what cars they should drive. 

Category: Economy, Jimmy Carter, Politics