Bush: Hike fuel economy for cars - 04/28/06 - The Detroit News

Bush Says Hike Fuel Economy Standards For Cars

President George W. Bush apparently fell of his horse on the way to Damascus, because after 6 years of fighting increased fuel efficiency standards for cars, now he's saying that the standards should be raised. Bush may not be a good president, but he's turning into a reasonably decent weather vane. You can tell which way the wind is blowing.

The President will be meeting with the heads of the Big 3, and no doubt economy standards will be on the table. Bush has refused to bail out struggling automakers, saying that it is their fault that they are in trouble because they aren't producing "relevant" products. This ignores the fact that the US auto industry has played a key role in every war of the 20th Century, and in 2001 GM almost singlehandedly kept the US out of a serious recession by choosing to put heavy incentives on cars rather than cutting production when public confidence soured after 9-11. Bush glosses over the fact that he has done nothing of note to improve the US healthcare system. Bush ignores the fact that his foreign policy decisions have exacerbated oil shortages and panics that are driving spikes in gas prices. He opposes subsidies to the car industry, but the oil industry and the nuclear power industry get billions of dollars in subsidies. Apparently it is also crucial to the national interests to spend $20 billion a month in Iraq with no end in sight. Twenty billion would keep General Motors going for several years.

Bush: Hike fuel economy for cars - 04/28/06 - The Detroit News