RK ARCHIVE - George Allen is a Joke on Ethanol

Today's installment: ethanol.
I'm a fan of ethanol. Its cleaner and it provides a new market for American agriculture (the fact that I am originally from Nebraska, where it helps the economy, doesn't hurt either). I know the gas station in my neighborhood that sells 10% ethanol and I go out of my way to buy there.

10% ethanol is 10% cleaner, 10% less climate change inducing, 10% less terrorist funding, 10% more American fuel. E85 fuel would be even more-so.

George Allen has carefully weighed the issue and decided...that it is now politically in his best interests to support it.

Allen voted against ethanol 14 times. Since 2005 (when his Presidential ambitions ramped up) he has voted for it twice.

In other words (and it disgusts me to use this phrase, even to mock him), George Allen was against ethanol before he was for it.

Remember all those people at the 2004 Republican Presidential Convention? (BTW, I renew my call for them to take George Allen's suggestion and have it at the new Convention Center in Iraqi Kurdistan.) Remember those "Support the Troops" folks who wore band-aids with little purple hearts on them to crap on John Kerry's Vietnam service? Remember how they waved sandals in the air an cried "flip-flop, flip-flop"? Remember those folks? What exactly would they call this? A "nuanced position change" I'm sure.

Sure a vote for ethanol is good. But what happens when it is no longer politically expedient for Allen to support ethanol? What happens when his Presidential hopes vanish and he nolonger needs to pander to Iowa? He goes right back to voting for Big Oil. Just like he has for six years.

Jim Webb supports real alternative energy development. Don't be fooled by Allen's energy plan "hail mary". His last minute, slapped together "plan" is a joke. He's had six years to act on energy independence and he's done what he has done on every issue: jack squat.

PS: Here's a diary I missed on RK which explains that "Allen's plan" was lifted from bills already introduced in Congress. Does the man have any original ideas, or does he just steal them all from his colleagues?

Comments

depends on the source of the ethanol (teacherken - 10/4/2006 12:24:23 PM)

ethanol derived from corn does not gain that much of an advantage

Brazil does their ethanol from sugar cane, which is quite efficient

ethanol from switchgrass is far more efficient than from corn

and there are some grain-based ethanols that are also more efficient than corn - Peter Goldmark, Dem candidate in WA-05 has spoken to some of this (he is a Ph D molecular biologist as well as being a wehat farmer and rancher)

That brings up another interesting issue (tokatakiya - 10/4/2006 1:22:49 PM)

If the US would invest in using US grown sugar beets to make ethanol, we could open a new market for them. This would allow us to do away with our current protectionist measures that keep most Latin American and Carribean sugar out of the US and still keep American sugar beet farmers in the money.

What do you think?

Bio Fuels and Al Weed (Gordie - 10/4/2006 2:03:45 PM)

Allen and Goode are trying to steal Al Weeds promotion of Switchgrass and Bio-Fuels(E-85). In 2005 Al started Public Policy Virginia and in that format he had all kinds of experts on the subject and held many meetings pushing alternate energy. Following the example that Iowa farmers make a 20 percent profit on investment, Al took off on a tour of southside Virginia to promote such a project. It is one ideal Al Weed has to restore the economy of southside Virginia. From what I have seen the entire western part of Virginia would benefit in such a project. You all get the ideal of what I am writing.
Now look at the National picture. The Billions we save in exporting our dollars to terrorist countries as well as the billions we save in protecting those foreign oil fields. Self sufficient in our own resources is what we need again. We all know this will never happen under Republican leadership, they are too much tied to the oil dollars.
Al Weed and Jim Webb should not let Allen and Goode steal the story from them. I know stepping on big business toes at this time may be bad politically, butif these two Republicans get back in, we all know how they will vote. In fact the inssue will never get on the floor of either house.

Do any of you know that in 1974 Al Weed started his Winery in Nelson County, from there he had the leadership to organize the few Wineries and got the legislation to help Virginia Wineries that they went froma few to over 100 and now VA is 5th in Vintage growing states. Over 500,000 tourists to our wineries each year. A retail sales of over 45 million dollars. Over 3,700 tons of grapes each year. The list of benefits from the leadership of one man goes on. Compare Virginia to Maryland. They have about the same climate and same soil, but they did not have an Al Weed to push the legislature to help the Wineries.

Support Al Weed and Jim Webb.

Check the pumps (Glant - 10/4/2006 4:57:22 PM)

Most stations in this area now sell 10% ethanol. I believe it is mandated under the Renewable Fuels Standard, but I need to double check. This started about 3 months ago.

You are right, Allen's plan is all cut and paste from something someone else has already proposed. He waited 5 years and 11 months into his term to actually do any work, then dropped a few proposals into the hopper where he knew they would sit until this session of Congress expired.

That is not leadership

That is not vision

That is cheap theatrics, just like that 2 minute speech he gave 2 nights ago.