Obama becomes the anti-Levin, criticizes Detroit automakers for poor fuel efficiency
While Sen. Carl Levin bends over backwards to help the Big Three, Sen. Barack Obama thinks a big stick might do the trick. Speaking in Detroit yesterday, Obama said the American auto companies haven't done enough to lessen America's dependence on foreign oil. Stacy Parker Aab, writing at the Huffington Post, was suitably impressed by the speech, not by what Obama said but the way he said it. But I think, coming as it did a day before today's committee vote on CAFE standards, what he said is just as impressive.
Of course, I haven't heard or seen the speech, and I can't find a transcript online, so I'm working from the New York Times article on the talk, which Obama gave at the Economic Club of Detroit. Writers Nick Bunkley and Micheline Maynard say he "hit hard at the failings of Detroit automakers," and that the "Japanese companies had done far better than their Detroit counterparts to develop energy efficient vehicles." He also called for higher mileage standards and more tax credits for hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles. Anyone can say those things, but it takes at least a little bit of chutzpah to be Barack Obama and say them in Detroit, doesn't it? Maybe?
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[Source: New York Times]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John 11:18AM (5/08/2007)
While the Big 2.5 are an easy target, why not take the foreign mfgs to task for failing to keep the improvements up?
In their zeal to appeal to our lard butts with bigger cars/trucks, the fleet fuel economy of the Toyota/Honda etc. boys has dropped - is there even much of a difference between mfgs on this issue anymore?
I do applaud Barack for speaking out - it's just that everyone is due a good bit of tongue lashing on this subject. And I don't even want to get started on the requirements for premium fuel on so many new high output engines - higher octane=more refinement=less fuel available and additional waste.
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shiznannigan 1:52PM (5/08/2007)
Yay, another idiot who didn't do his homework!
A simple look online would have shown him that GM and Ford have many vehicles that get better mileage than their japanese competition. The small-ish FJ Cruiser struggles to get the mileage of a Tahoe. Sequoia gets worse than some Suburbans! Nissan Armada? Forget about it! But it's ok, jump on the "Evil U.S. Automakers" bandwagon, I'm sure CNN can scoot over to make room for you.
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JeffDM 1:23PM (5/08/2007)
I think Obama has been criticizing low fuel efficiency for well over a year now. Maybe it's just now being noticed by the mass media. He has a podcast, I have a recording of him on the 3/1/06 edition that I think covers this. He has made several proposals since then on how the government can help them achieve better numbers.
I don't think octane significantly changes the amount of crude oil used to make it. I heard from someone that claims to be in the industry that the cost difference is really only a penny a gallon.
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Murc 1:41AM (5/09/2007)
Couldn’t agree with you more "shiznannigan".
He also seems to of ignored the fact that while US automakers are making a larger line of small cars...foreign makers are making bigger ones...SUV's & Trucks...trying to get into Ford & GM's domain. Americans like big vehicles...not a tin can with wheels.
A big reason Obama was there was trying to get the US auto makers on board with a national Healthcare system.....cause if we had one, Ford & GM would be doing better...since they pay out the a$$ making a deal a while ago, which was when you retire from working there, they continue to send you your check. and to offset the hit, every car they sells is roughly 1500 bucks more...hence you see cheaper cars coming from Japan.
US automakers are doing plenty of work on fuel efficiency...everything from E-85 (flex-fuel) to hybrids...hell, GM is even planning on making the Chevy Volt.
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