Obama vows tax credits, aid to automakers for hybrid cars

[Wretched Excess]

first, why does he think that the federal government needs to "encourage" the manufacture of a product
that $4 a gallon gasoline is already spurring better than anything the gov't could ever accomplish.  second,
why has he decided to remove this one industry from the "evil corporations should all die" list . . . and lastly
 . . . . has he given up on his quest to solve all the world's ills by going on a crusade to defeat the crisis of
under inflated tires?   I though he had this thing handled last week

Obama vows tax credits, aid to automakers for hybrid cars

LANSING -- Barack Obama today set a goal of 1 million plug-in hybrid vehicles on American roads by 2015, and offered tax credits to buyers and a "major commitment" to help the domestic carmakers meet the goal.

Those and other efforts, Obama said in a mid-day speech at the Lansing Center, would allow the United States to end its imports of oil from the Middle East and Venezuela in 10 years. And, he said, it would re-energize Michigan struggling domestic carmakers.

"I know how much the auto industry and the auto workers of this state have struggled over the last decade or so," Obama said. "But I also know where I want the fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow to be built: not in Japan, not in China, but right here in the United States of America. Right here in the state of Michigan."

Plug-in hybrid vehicles such as Chevrolet's Volt are domestic automakers' leading strategy for meeting the demand for higher fuel economy and to cut carbon emissions from autos. GM has set the ambitious goal of making the Volt available to consumers by 2010, though developing battery technology to meet that goal is proving difficult.

Also today, Obama proposed selling 70 million barrels of oil from America's strategic petroleum stockpiles. He said that move could help in the short-run to drive down gasoline prices that now top $4 a gallon. Previously, Obama opposed tapping into the reserves, located in caverns in Texas and Louisiana.

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[Chris_]

Bush's 2005 energy bill already established tax credits for hybrid vehicles.  The tax credit is already there... what does this guy think he's doing?

[Chris_]

LANSING -- Barack Obama today set a goal of 1 million plug-in hybrid vehicles on American roads by 2015, and offered tax credits to buyers and a "major commitment" to help the domestic carmakers meet the goal.

The market has already addressed this issue.  The hybrid SUVs are starting to trickle out from the domestic automakers (22mpg).  The Dodge/Chrysler Aspen hybrid also comes with a V8 and 3-ton towing capacity.  Honda will be releasing their Prius-fighter early next year, priced at $3,000 less than the Toyota. Toyota also plans to increase Prius production by 70% for the US market.

Government meddling for the sake of government meddling.  Obama's plan will accomplish nothing.

[Chris_]

Bush's 2005 energy bill already established tax credits for hybrid vehicles.  The tax credit is already there... what does this guy think he's doing?

TRYING to copy bubba -- he did the same thing, taking and taking ceredit for the entire Republican agenda.

[Wretched Excess]

Bush's 2005 energy bill already established tax credits for hybrid vehicles.  The tax credit is already there... what does this guy think he's doing?

umm, recycling a bunch of old ideas?  as far as his campaign does, you name it, and someone else has already done it.  everything from the speech in germany thing (JFK, reagan) to the shameless "triangulation" on every relevant issue of the day (clinton).

The BarackStar!'s next original idea will be his first.

[Chris_]

The BarackStar!'s next original idea will be his first.

Why do I picture smoke coming from his ears, and a whistling sound?

[Wretched Excess]

The BarackStar!'s next original idea will be his first.

Why do I picture smoke coming from his ears, and a whistling sound?

act I was "hope, healing, and unity".  act II was "the failed bush mccain policies of the past".  maybe act III will be kaboom?

[Chris_]

The BarackStar!'s next original idea will be his first.

Why do I picture smoke coming from his ears, and a whistling sound?

act I was "hope, healing, and unity".  act II was "the failed bush mccain policies of the past".  maybe act III will be kaboom?

Underway

[Wretched Excess]

The BarackStar!'s next original idea will be his first.

Why do I picture smoke coming from his ears, and a whistling sound?

don't ask me why that made me think of "mudd's women".

[Wretched Excess]

as I said earlier, the one constant in the obama campaign is that everything you see from it has already been done before.

Barack Obama shifts on tapping national oil reserves
In a campaign speech at Michigan State University, the candidate suggested releasing oil from the emergency stockpile, a relief plan reminiscent of President Clinton's in 2000.

LANSING, MICH. — Democrat Barack Obama called today for tapping the nation's strategic oil reserves to help drive down gasoline prices, a shift from his previous position on the issue.

The reversal is the second refinement in Obama's energy policy. Last week, he said that he would reluctantly consider accepting some offshore oil drilling. Obama had previously said he opposed such drilling, which is strongly backed by rival John McCain, who has urged that states be allowed to decide whether to drill.

McCain has been able to score political points on energy issues in recent weeks, particularly in swing states such as Michigan.

Obama is scheduled to campaign this week on energy and economic issues in the battleground Midwest. McCain campaigned in Pennsylvania, where he called on Congress to return from vacation to deal with energy issues. Later, McCain travels to South Dakota.

[Airwolf]

Bush's 2005 energy bill already established tax credits for hybrid vehicles.  The tax credit is already there... what does this guy think he's doing?

Its quite plain that he's talking out of his Democratic ass.

[Jim]

BHO wants to up plug in cars.  Whats he going to burn to make that electricity ?

Coal is no good, oil ?  please.  Nuke ?  OH MY !

I guess we're down to burning spotted owls.

[Wretched Excess]

BHO wants to up plug in cars.  Whats he going to burn to make that electricity ?

Coal is no good, oil ?  please.  Nuke ?  OH MY !

I guess we're down to burning spotted owls.

at least that would make them good for something.  and throw in the snail darters, too.

[Jim]

BHO wants to up plug in cars.  Whats he going to burn to make that electricity ?

Coal is no good, oil ?  please.  Nuke ?  OH MY !

I guess we're down to burning spotted owls.

at least that would make them good for something.  and throw in the snail darters, too.

whats the MPG (miles per gram) of a snail darter ?

[Wretched Excess]

BHO wants to up plug in cars.  Whats he going to burn to make that electricity ?

Coal is no good, oil ?  please.  Nuke ?  OH MY !

I guess we're down to burning spotted owls.

at least that would make them good for something.  and throw in the snail darters, too.

whats the MPG (miles per gram) of a snail darter ?

they burn well, you just need a whole lot of them just to get out of the driveway.

[Jim]

BHO wants to up plug in cars.  Whats he going to burn to make that electricity ?

Coal is no good, oil ?  please.  Nuke ?  OH MY !

I guess we're down to burning spotted owls.

at least that would make them good for something.  and throw in the snail darters, too.

whats the MPG (miles per gram) of a snail darter ?

they burn well, you just need a whole lot of them just to get out of the driveway.

maybe we better stick with polar bears and baby seals

[DixieBelle]

If I could drill a well in a polar bear's ass, I would. I'd have that baby running all the way from Alaska into my SUV.

[DixieBelle]

I was reading this story and noticed a really GREAT comment on Instapundit.

http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/
1MM pluggable hybrids is nothing. It is less than 10% of cars sold per year. It should happen in a few years naturally without government intervention. As you note, the grid can easily absorb it. In fact, plugging hybrids (and their large batteries) into the grid might actually help stablize our creaky old grid if the charging is managed by the utility. It is likely that pluggables will largely replace 'spinning reserves' in that they can put power back when needed. I know of at least one startup that is marketing this capability. Network enabled energy storage elements will make the grid way better than it is now.

Obama's energy plan is lame for other reasons. At best, it mandates and subsidized things the market is already doing on its own. At worst, it will become yet another pork vehicle that crowds out true innovation. The best thing the government can do is remove barriers to permitting nukes (and maybe also to selling retrofit kits for older vehicles so they can become PHEVs) and otherwise get out of the way. Clever, greedy people will take care of the rest. Obama can then villify and tax them.


As I said, intelligent power management is key. And as for vilifying and taxing success -- that's what government is for. Otherwise the rest of the citizenry might develop self esteem problems. This was all addressed by Robert Heinlein, natch:


Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.

This is known as "bad luck."

 

[Chris_]

wow -- fantastic conclusion!

[Lauri]

irrespective of nothing, but what if all those plug in hybrids lose their power on a road. do they just sit there until you can push them to an outlet?

right now our country runs on gasoline ... is O really this stupid that he thinks we can turn this entire economy around with some little lawn mowers with seats, as Rush calls them?

oh wait, i forgot about the tire pressure gages..