Bush, Big Auto agree that ethanol is the way of the future … again
Detroit’s Big Three automakers cruised to the White House yesterday to plead their case for improving biofuels access and to remind the president that they’re not so keen on that whole “improving fuel economy” idea. Bush played along by plugging a power cord into a Ford hydrogen concept car for the cameras and praising the companies’ technological innovations. Addressing the wonders of flex-fuel vehicles, he even wrapped a new eco-talking point into his always-smooth patter: “If you want to reduce gasoline usage like I believe we need to do so for national-security reasons as well as for environmental concerns, the consumer has got to be in a position to make a rational choice.” While the carmakers said they could make half of their fleet flex-fuel compatible by 2012, they claim they can only reach that goal if more pumps are made available nationwide. And what about Bush’s goal of improving fuel economy 4 percent a year? Said Rick Wagoner, CEO of GM, “We didn’t talk about the 4 percent.”
