Quality Weenie

Democrats Show Their Bias Against American Automakers.

Another example of bias against american automakers and ass kissing of the asian automakers. Senators are ripping american automakers for their dismissing the Senates efforts to unrealistically raise gas mileage standards while kissing the asian auto makers ass saying that they could do it so why can't american automakers do it. Except they never checked with asian automakers for their opinions on raising the standards before making that statement.

Detroit's automakers should raise gas mileage requirements by 40 percent or face extinction, a key U.S. senator said Tuesday in a tongue-lashing of the industry for its failure to embrace fuel efficiency in the past.

So senetors feel they are in the business of putting businesses out of business.

Led by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, four U.S. senators didn't mince words in touting a proposal to drastically raise fuel economy standards by model year 2017, a move they argued would save America 2.5 million barrels of Middle Eastern oil a day.

Figures it's California leading the charge. Of course touting that it's all about saving oil is ment to make the american automakers look bad if they fight against the ridiclous standards that are trying to be set.

Called the "Ten in Ten," the bill would require automakers to have a fleetwide fuel economy average of 35 miles per gallon by the 2017 model year. The measure also would mandate onboard fuel economy display by the 2013 model year and require cars to average 31.1 miles per gallon by model year 2009 and light trucks to average 23.6 miles per gallon.

"This is really a help to the industry," Feinstein said. "And I think stonewalling it, getting in a bunker mentality, fighting it doesn't make any sense at all."

Again, making any protests by the auto industry seem like they are horrible people.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said the Big Three didn't get it.

"Some of us have felt that they should have received the message long ago that their product line needed to be changed," he said.

Again, the american auto industry is the only one being called to the boards. No mention of asian auto makers.

Jason Vines, a Chrysler Group spokesman, called the proposal unrealistic.

"What we don't want is to get something so technically ridiculous that everyone's forced to buy a Fred Flintstone car," Vines said. "If anyone could build an SUV that gets 40 miles per gallon, don't you think we would? We'd corner the market. No one can do it, not the masters of the universe, Toyota, not BMW, Mercedes. It's not technically feasible."

But it's the american auto industry making these points.

U.S. Rep. Vern Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, has long been the only Michigan member of either party to endorse across-the-board fuel economy increases -- and his wife recently bought a Toyota Prius, though he has a Ford and GM.

He said the Big Three had better embrace fuel economy improvements. (emphasis mine)

"If they haven't, they got bigger problems than they think," said Ehlers, who has resisted heavy industry lobbying over the years.

This guy isn't going to get re-elected. If you live in Michigan and your consituents jobs are heavily dependant on the auto industry and your voting for proposals that are unattainable and could force one or more american auto makers out of business you better be a good shot. He should be shot for buying a Prius anyway, americans make electic vehicles too.

Feinstein heaped praise on Toyota.

"Increasingly, it's becoming the dominant global force in the auto industry," she said.

Ass kissing by democrats at it's finest.

But Toyota declined to endorse the proposal.

Jo Cooper, Toyota's group vice president for government affairs, said there were questions about the feasibility of the bill.

"That's a huge number. It doesn't sound like much, but that's a huge leap forward," Cooper said.

A strong bitch slap delivered by Toyota.

At Ford Motor Co., CEO and Chairman Bill Ford Jr. and Americas President Mark Fields said in recent weeks that they believe the experts at NHTSA, rather than Congress, should set gas mileage standards.

(emphasis mine)

Ford is right, congress should stay out of setting gas standards. They should let the experts set the standards that is why we NHTSA for.

Democrats are just trying to make theyself look better for election by jumping on the high gas price bandwagon without any thought to the consequences of their actions.

Posted by Quality Weenie at June 23, 2006 10:45 AM | TrackBack