We don't mean to indicate that Sarah Fisher isn't a capable driver or team owner, it's just that she's never won a race and her best finish is 17th. We think that "top woman" honors should go to Danica Patrick, who actually won a race. Still, after this we predict a 15-point spread for Hillary in Indiana. (h/t Hyman_Decent)

[NYTimes]

President's SOTU Remarks Relating To The Automotive Industry:

To build a future of energy security, we must trust in the creative genius of American researchers and entrepreneurs and empower them to pioneer a new generation of clean energy technology. Our security, our prosperity, and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil. Last year, I asked you to pass legislation to reduce oil consumption over the next decade, and you responded. Together we should take the next steps: Let us fund new technologies that can generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions. Let us increase the use of renewable power and emissions-free nuclear power. Let us continue investing in advanced battery technology and renewable fuels to power the cars and trucks of the future. Let us create a new international clean technology fund, which will help developing nations like India and China make greater use of clean energy sources. And let us complete an international agreement that has the potential to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases. This agreement will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride. The United States is committed to strengthening our energy security and confronting global climate change. And the best way to meet these goals is for America to continue leading the way toward the development of cleaner and more efficient technology.

To keep America competitive into the future, we must trust in the skill of our scientists and engineers and empower them to pursue the breakthroughs of tomorrow. Last year, the Congress passed legislation supporting the American Competitiveness Initiative, but never followed through with the funding. This funding is essential to keeping our scientific edge. So I ask the Congress to double Federal support for critical basic research in the physical sciences and ensure America remains the most dynamic nation on earth.

Individual donors that stand out include GM CEO Rick Wagoner, who gave to Romney, and Roger Penske of Penske Corp., who gave to Giuliani. The good thing for all involved is that, after the primaries, everyone can make sure their company gives enough to the remaining candidates to make sure no one feels left out. [Automotive News]

Now, obviously sultry Murilee's Project Car Hell Haiku is one of the greatest posts in Jalopnik history. However, the winning Commenter does not hail from there. But he was inspired by it. Wes posted a follow up to the anti-truck nuts madness currently roiling the Commonwealth of Virginia. FatBraff mused:

Truck nuts are so dumb
Yet this law would be dumber
Viva la truck nuts

Already, most of the major carmakers have said they felt the new standards would be a "stretch" and "difficult." The White House is also upset over a plan to roll back $16 billion in tax breaks for oil companies, who have clearly been suffering over the past few years. Where this might hit consumers is the possibility of reincentivizing the purchase of advanced technology through tax breaks. Of course, it's all still in the negotiation phase, so no one can be sure what's posturing and what's real.[Detroit News]

For reasons numerous and complicated, there are laws the federal government does not pass but rather encourages state governments to pass. One of those is the open-container law, which states there must be no possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages by any passengers, anywhere in a motor vehicle on a public highway or right-of-way. It's a matter of carrot-and-stick governance. The stick is generally a decrease in federal highway building funds (the funds are generally redirected to safety programs).

Reasons why states don't pass open container laws range from philosophical complaints (the state can do what it wants), to athletic support (pro-tailgating), to a fear imposing them will impact the money gained from the sale of alcohol. Currently, 39 states meet the full federal requirements (now including Indiana, Montana and Colorado). Further, cops can bust you for having an open container without any probable cause. There are small variations in this law that turn on language parsing (e.g., what qualifies as a moving vehicle and what counts as the passenger area of a motor vehicle). Washington state actually has stricter laws, providing penalties for trying to disguise an open container of alcohol.

Some states give counties and municipalities the ability to determine penalties for possession of alcohol in motor vehicles. The bottom line is, consult an attorney and get someone to hide your keys before attempting to drive with an alcoholic beverage.

For the 11 other states the are significant variations in what is considered legal and illegal:

Alaska
Generally speaking, the laws in Alaska are not at great variation with the federally mandated requirements. The one major exception is that you can have an open container on a "Motor-Driven Cycle," which basically means a motor scooter with less than 50 cc of engine displacement.

Arkansas
Technically, there is no federally complaint law regulating open containers specifically in vehicles according to the National Institute of Health's Alcohol Policy Information System. That being said, it's illegal in Arkansas to drink in a public place, which includes highways or any vehicles commonly used for transportation. [U of A]

Connecticut
Illegal for someone to drink while operation of a car on a public road, in a parking area for 10 cars or more, on a private road with an established speed limit or on any school property. Your passengers can get as blitzed as they like, assuming they are of legal age. Of course, the law doesn't make driving with drunks any less distracting or annoying.[CT.gov]

Delaware
Limited. No state-wide Open Containers law.

Louisiana
Though Louisiana does have a ban on open containers, there is an exception for frozen alcoholic beverages with lids on them. While you can't drink it, or put a straw in it, you can order a 60-ounce Hurricane or Strawberry Daiquiri from a drive-through.

Mississippi
Limited. No state-wide Open Containers law.

Missouri
Limited. No state-wide Open Containers law

Tennessee
While the law prohibits the possession of a beverage or consumption by the driver of a motor-vehicle, the law states that a passenger can have possession of a beverage.

Virginia
While there is no state-wide Open Containers law, the law does prohibit the consumption of a beverage by a person driving a car and says that it is presumed that the driver has consumed a beverage if there is an open container and some other indicator that the driver may be drunk (slurred speech, appearance, odor, et cetera).

West Virginia
Limited. No state-wide Open Containers law

Wyoming
As you probably have guessed, oenophilia runs rampant in Wyoming. While the law does state that you can't have an open container while driving (your passenger may), you can have resealed wine with you and that does not count as wine.

[NIH Alcohol Policy Information System]

Soon, the obscure, impenetrable zone system will be as much a part of our nation's capitol as Alberto Gonzales, Karl Rove, John Ashcroft, Ari Fleischer, Tom Delay, Larry Craig Donald Rumsfeld, Scott McClellan, Collin Powell, Andy Card, Tony Snow and Scooter Libby. That is to say gone. DC Mayor Adrian Fenty is planning on signing something that will force area cabs to adopt meters, just like everybody else. Will anyone lament the demise of 10-block, $27 rides? Besides Mr. T? [bizjournals.com]

Missing from last night's broadcast of the Colbert Report was the above graphic, which clearly demonstrates the threat.

Illustration: Sebastian Assaf for Jalopnik.com
Blind People Upset with Silent Hybrids [internal]

Snagged! In a recent speech, John Edwards told Americans to sacrifice their inefficient cars, and specifically, to give up their SUVs. But the presidential hopeful is driven around in a Cadillac SRX Crossover, which guzzles gas at 15 miles per gallon. His spokesman says that he drives a hybrid SUV in North Carolina, but reports say the Edwards family has a regular SUV and a small truck as well.

1.) Why does NHTSA think the upper tether of the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system is so difficult for 40% of parents — causing them to rely on vehicles' seat belts?

2.) Why does Section 565.4c of Title 49 require a check digit to appear in position nine of a vehicle's VIN? What if I'm an OEM and I think it looks more visually appealing for it to be in position eight — will I go to jail if I change it on my vehicles or will I just get like, a million dollar fine?

3.) Can I sell regrooved or regroovable tires?

4.) I know I can use anthropomorphic test devices like a test dummy in my safety standard compliance testing. If anthropomorphic test dummies are too expensive am I allowed to use a chimp or gorilla if it looks kinda like a human but costs less — or will that hurt the test dummies feelings?

5.) A corollary to the above question. What if I have a six-year-old child who is smaller than the 6-year-old anthropomorphic test dummy that gets decapitated in the testing of the new Chery "Whatsis?" May I call it safe for use if I know my six-year-old child could make it through just fine because he (she) is "probably more representative than some stupid dummy?"

6.) Talk to me about Recall #07V209000 — how did this recall make you feel? Happy? Sad? Explain.

7.) Will you please demonstrate how an Interlock ignition system would have prevented George W. Bush from driving under the influence in Maine in 1976?

8.) Do you actually know anything about cars and trucks and stuff? Please elaborate.

If we look at Robert Kubica's recent 75 G crash, it becomes obvious that no one ever has to die in an automobile accident. Never forget what Colonel Stapp taught us: deceleration alone does not kill humans. Years ago I was involved in a horrible accident that was phoned into 911 as "two fatalities." A 6-ton delivery truck going about 45 mph rear ended my buddy's stopped Mazda 323 at a funny angle and pushed us into oncoming traffic where the little compact was struck again by a car coming the other direction. However, both my friend and I were belted in and able to walk away virtually unscathed. In fact, the cops who arrived on scene refused to talk to us because they didn't believe we could've been in the totally deformed Mazda. I contend that if not for Ralph Nader, you wouldn't be reading this sentence, as I'd be dead. Discuss.

Hayes recounts a scene told to him by David Bohrer, the vice president's official photographer, about Cheney at a Secret Service test-driving track in Beltsville, Md. The Secret Service was teaching Cheney how to drive to evade terrorists by executing a "J-turn." Cheney, who had not driven a car in about two years, jammed the Chevy Camaro into reverse, hit the accelerator until he was going about 40 miles an hour, then slammed on the brakes in order to spin the car a full 180 degrees. Bohrer had mounted a camera on the windshield to record Cheney's face. The veep was expressionless throughout. "It was as if he was taking a Sunday drive," Bohrer told Hayes.

Senate Adopts an Energy Bill Raising Mileage for Cars [NYT]

Related:
Senate Panel Goes CAFE-Crazy, Sets 35 MPG Standard By 2020; Forbes on CAFE Standards: Let the Market Dictate [internal]

Why yes, that IS the President of the United States of 'merica being forced to walk after his Cadillac DTS experiences a minor "engine issue" while in Rome this past weekend. We could make some kind of a joke about bullshit walking, but really, does the man deserve any more ridicule. I mean it Italian people, stop laughing at our President! Damn it, stop! Oh well, you know it's bad when I start feeling bad for the man. Just sayin'... oh, and it's at about 3:00 in he video when you should start watching. – Ray Wert

[via Autoblog]

Related:
Detroit News Tells Tall Tale On Bush, Blames Blogs; President Bush Plays With Cars, Has A Really Corny Meeting With US Automakers [internal]

"For years, while foreign competitors were investing in more fuel-efficient technology for their vehicles, American automakers were spending their time investing in bigger, faster cars,"

Obama talks of hybrids, but his ride has a Hemi [Freep]

Related:
Obama to Automakers: Increase Economy, We'll Help Defray Health Costs [internal]

Senate panel sets 35 mpg standard by 2020 [CNN]

[Picture from grist]

Related:
What About Bob: Lutz's Latest Hits [internal]

Oh, Hoons of the dark side, the day you've feared is nigh! In a decision that really shocks no one, the Supreme Court overwhelmingly sided with the police who "do not have to call off pursuit of a fleeing motorist when they reasonably expect that other people could be hurt." So says Anton Scalia. And seven other top Justices agree with him. John Paul Stevens is the sole dissenter. We say shocks no one because we remember watching our fist LA Freeway chase live on the TV and at the end, the cops shot and killed the guy. In this case, Atlanta sheriff's deputy Timothy Scott rammed Victor Harris's Cadillac off the road and into a ditch. Harris, paralyzed, sued Scott for violating his Fourth Amendment rights. Concludes Scalia, "A police officer's attempt to terminate a dangerous high-speed car chase that threatens the lives of innocent bystanders does not violate the Fourth Amendment, even when it places the fleeing motorist at risk of serious injury or death." Our take?

Running from the cops, while righteous on film, is the new suicide. Interesting side note: The video above is taken from the Supreme Court's own website. As far as we can tell, it is the first video they have ever posted. It truly is a brave new world. – Jonny Lieberman

Supreme Court sides with police in chase case [msnbc.com]

Related:
Meshugana of the Day: Cop Tickets Himself | It's the Way of the New World! 'Cobra' Car Chase [Internal]

"Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour ,second from left, and Toyota Motor Corp. President Katsuaki Watanabe, third from left, join other dignitaries for the ground-breaking ceremony of a new assembly plant in Blue Springs, Miss., Wednesday morning, April 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Ryan Moore)"

Related:
Caption Contest: Tiger Woods And Buick Enclave, So Captioned Together [internal]

"We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car...I hardly recognize this country anymore...George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has a lot of sound bites...he prides himself on being faith-based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you, I don't know what will."

Iacocca blasts 'clueless bozos' in book [Freep]

Related:
Chrysler Group Sales Speculation: An Inconvenient Sale?; Chrysler Group Sales Speculation: Some Guy In London Says Chance Of Chrysler Group Sale "Very Low" [internal]

There's a big reason we didn't cover the silly little anecdote told by Alan Mulally at the New York Auto Show last week — we actually were watching it unfold live on CNBC at the time, and realized his comments in New York were nothing more than an embellished joke, hardly worth of a mention. But his anecdote, that he insinuated he helped save the president from setting himself and FoMoCo's hydrogen-powered vehicle on fire, were responsible for an online conflagration of epic proportions — necessitating Keith Olbermann's piece above. Olbermann's segment, along with further attacks in the blogosphere, have necessitated that the News fire back. The only problem is that they end up blaming "blog mania" for the problem rather than taking responsibility for their own actions which were ten times more blogtastic. Because although the comments by Mulally may have been published first by our good friends at AutoBlog — they weren't responsible for blowing this particular story out of the land of reality and into the land of fiction. Autoblog was smart about how they covered the story — stating the facts, in a this-is-what-he-said account:

"One of Mulally's funniest stories revolved around the Ford HySeries Drive, a plug-in series hybrid concept with auxiliary fuel-cell power. The car has two power inputs: an electrical plug up front and a hydrogen filler plug in the rear. A photo op was scheduled with President Bush on at the White House.

"We had to make sure the President plugged the electrical cord into the electric outlet, not the hydrogen," said Mulally, who added that he literally had to "manhandle" the president to the front of the car to avoid a refueling faux pax."

"Credit Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally with saving the leader of the free world from self-immolation.

Mulally told journalists at the New York auto show that he intervened to prevent President Bush from plugging an electrical cord into the hydrogen tank of Ford's hydrogen-electric plug-in hybrid at the White House last week. Ford wanted to give the Commander-in-Chief an actual demonstration of the innovative vehicle, so the automaker arranged for an electrical outlet to be installed on the South Lawn and ran a charging cord to the hybrid. However, as Mulally followed Bush out to the car, he noticed someone had left the cord lying at the rear of the vehicle, near the fuel tank.

"I just thought, 'Oh my goodness!' So, I started walking faster, and the President walked faster and he got to the cord before I did. I violated all the protocols. I touched the President. I grabbed his arm and I moved him up to the front," Mulally said. "I wanted the president to make sure he plugged into the electricity, not into the hydrogen This is all off the record, right?"

"Within hours, the anecdote was picked up by Autoblog.com.

The Detroit News ran a three-paragraph account of Mulally's comments Saturday in the Business Insider column, a weekly compilation of humorous items about the business world."

Mulally's Bush tale ignites blog mania [Detroit News]

Related:
The Detroit News Has Bases Covered On Ford Today; The Detroit News Thinks Ford Is So Innovative, They're 30 Years Ahead Of Themselves; Detroit News Shows Off The New Ford — What Now?; The Post Whereby We Welcome The Detroit News To The "Time To Go, Joe" Bandwagon [internal]

"It's too late to stop Camaro, but anything after that is questionable or on the bubble," said Lutz, noting that also means Camaro derivatives — along with a big Impala sedan, "if we call it Impala."

...comes down to is

"We don't know how to get 30 percent better mileage from RWD cars."

"We'll decide on our rear-drive cars when the government decides on CO(-2) levels and CAFE regulations...Carbon dioxide is a natural byproduct of burning gas and directly proportional to the amount of fuel burned. If we legislate CO(-2) from cars, why not legislate we take one less breath per minute since humans release capricious amounts of CO(-2) each time they exhale?"

GM puts brake on rear-drive vehicles [Chicago Tribune via Winding Road]

Related:
Frankenstein Continues To Go Greek: GM's New RWD Platform To Be Named Alpha, Get Pieces Of Kappa And Zeta [internal]

We love it anytime Bush speaks and he's not behind a podium. We just love how he walks struts out all gunslinger-like. Seriously, it just tickles us in all sorts of wonderful ways. Today he's taking the CEO's of the traditional US automakers, and yeah, they showed off their "very relevant" E85-powered vehicles (and in the case of FoMoCo, a hydrogen-powered concept Car-UV that likes to live on the Eh-dge!) Here's the rose garden press conference, in it's entirety — enjoy the strutting, and "Slick" Rick Wagoner, Alan "New Guy" Mulally and Tom "For Sale" LaSorda showing and telling the Prez all about their not-quite-ready-for-primetime fuel efficient environmentally-efficient corny lineup. Full transcript of all involved after the jump. – Ray Wert

Morning Call [CNBC.com]

> For Immediate Release March 26, 2007 > > > > > REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

> AND THE CEOS OF FORD, GENERAL MOTORS AND

> DAIMLERCHRYSLER

> AT DEMONSTRATION OF

> ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES

> The South Lawn

> 11:11 A.M. EDT

> THE PRESIDENT: I've just spent quite a while talking to our CEOs of American automobile companies. And I was interested in their take on my goal of reducing gasoline consumption by 20 percent over the next 10 years.

> I found it very interesting that by 2012, 50 percent of the automobiles in America will be flex-fuel vehicles. That means that the American consumer will be able to either use gasoline or ethanol, depending upon, obviously, price and convenience. That's a major technological breakthrough for the country. 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. And so I appreciate very much the fact that American automobile manufacturers recognize the reality of the world in which we live and are using new technologies to give the consumers different options.

Right now, most of our ethanol is made from corn. But the federal government is spending a lot of money to try to develop new technologies that will mean that ethanol could be made from wood chips or switchgrass. Part of that request is embedded in a request to the Congress, and I would hope that Congress would move expeditiously on our plan to reduce gasoline usage by 20 percent over the next 10 years. It's in our national security interest that we do this, it's in economic security interest we do it, and all at the same time, it will help us be better stewards of the environment.

And now I'd like to ask these gentlemen to make a few comments.

MR. WAGONER: Yes, I'd just — from General Motors' perspective, we very much share the President's vision, and we definitely see a path through to both lower oil consumption, lower amounts of imported oil, and fewer carbon emissions. And obviously, a near-term opportunity that we are moving on right now, as the President cited, is flex-fuel vehicles that are powered by E85 ethanol. There are millions on the road today. As a group, we've agreed to double our production by the year 2010, and then have 50 percent of our production E85-capable by the year 2012. This makes a big difference, and there's nothing that can be done which can reduce the curve of growth in imported oil and actually turn it down like using E85, taking advantage of what's there today.

So we look forward to the opportunity to work closely with the administration and Congress to increase the production of ethanol and to improve the distribution. And on the manufacturer's side, we look very, very much forward to playing our role in that process, as well.

MR. MULALLY: Well, I might add to what Rick said, that we at Ford absolutely are supportive of the President's goal, both for energy efficiency and independence, and to be good stewards of our environment.

One of the neat things about the conversation, again, today, on the continuing dialogue that we've had, is being able to — the United States system to have options and have flexibility. And the fact that we have ethanol solutions today, hybrids coming along, and plus hydrogen and fuel cells and new battery technology, gives some great options to satisfy our need for flexibility, as well as being good stewards of the environment.

So Mr. President, we appreciate the leadership and we look forward to working with you going forward.

MR. LASORDA: Well, DaimlerChrysler, which includes the Mercedes car group, the Freightliner and other truck divisions in the Chrysler group, we've committed, as well, by 2012, to have 50 percent of our production not only in E85, but biodiesel. This Jeep Grand Cherokee here today is going into production as we speak, being shipped from the factory with B5.

So we've very committed to this, as well, and we think this is the answer for America to lower our dependence on foreign oil.

Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: One of the things that I think it's important for American taxpayers to understand is that we're using some of their dollars to promote new technologies, and we're working with these CEOs and their respective companies to advance new technologies. They're on the leading edge of technological change, and it's in our interest to help promote these new technologies that are coming to the market.

And I'm excited about the future. I'm optimistic we can meet our goal. I look forward to working with Congress to do so, and I appreciate you all coming today.

Thank you.

END 11:16 A.M. EDT

Hot new thing: driving the message [Detroit News]

Related:
Al Gore Tells Truth To Power, Is Now BFF With Automakers [internal]

Photo By: MANNIE GARCIA / AFP

Related:
Bush Kisses Some Ass, Visits Ford, GM Plants In Kansas City; Washington Wakes Up A Little: Senate, House Pissed At Bush Regime for Meddling With Climate Scientists [internal]

Bush visit to Ford, GM may smooth tensions [MSNBC.com]

Related:
Clear The Streets, DC! US Auto Chieftains Driving To Meet President At 1:15 PM; Rappin' With The President Wrap-Up: US Auto Execs Play In The Rose Garden; Jalopnik Does Math Good: A Corny State Of The Union Address? [internal]

A Plug-In Toyota Prius Hybrid is going to be on the south lawn of the White House today, but you're not going to be able to tell it's a Toyota because the hood is going to be up for photo time. Why? Because it doesn't sit well with the domestic automakers that a Toyota is there (why no Chrysler Hybrid? Oh... wait) and the White House won't stand up to the Big 3, even though Toyota is creating jobs in his adopted home state of Texas while the Big 3 are cutting jobs and benefits. That Prius I just told you about isn't supported by Toyota even though it gets close to 300 MPG. The Middle East is as unstable as it can be without devolving into chaos because we don't make or support many cars that get good gas mileage. But hey, Anna Nicole Smith is getting buried in the Bahamas, so I'm sure everything is going to work out fine. – Matt Hardigree

Toyota Prius To Make White House Appearance Today [Detroit News]

Related:
President Bush: Someday You're Going To Be Able To... Drive 40 Miles On Battery" [Internal]

Talking about energy policy yesterday in the middle of a cornfield, because why the hell not, President Bush said something that caught our attention:

"Someday you're going to be able to get in your car, particularly if you're a big-city person, and drive 40 miles on a battery. And by the way, the car doesn't have to look like a golf cart. It could be a pickup truck."

Speaking In N.C., Bush Pushes Energy Policies [The Chronicle]

Related:
Car Hack's Notebook: Electric, The Silent Killer [Internal]

"I chose this site for a number of reasons. It's filled with cars and memories. Dad and I loved cars. Most kids read the sports box scores. Dad and I read Automotive News. We came here together, him teaching me about cars that were built before my time...The Rambler automobile he championed was the first American car designed and marketed for economy and mileage. He dubbed it a compact car, a car that would slay the gas-guzzling dinosaurs. It transformed the industry."

Governor Mitt Romney's Presidential Announcement [MittRomney.com]

Related:
A Rebel Machine, Yes. A Rambler Derivative, No. X-Wing for Sale on eBay [internal]

Junk bonds are more about reading tea leaves than a science but sometimes, especially with extremely undervalued or overvalued entities, it goes from "tea leaves" to ludicrously silly. Like today. CNBC's reporting "bond gurus" as pricing GM bonds in such a way that Iraqi national bonds are rated higher. That means pricing's occurring on the belief that "Iraq has about the same chance of going bankrupt as General Motors." The mid-day show on the network most well known for letting me on to talk about the auto industry also had another Ray talking about what seems to be a very bubble-tastic bond market. This ray of light on the issue was Raymond Kennedy of PIMCO, who would "definitely take GM bonds over Iraq," mostly because...

..."GM's got some great new product lines that are starting to gain traction in the marketplace." We'd also have to believe that it's because insurgents aren't ringing GM assembly plants with IED's. But, hey union negotiations are coming up soon, so you never know. Of course, now that we think about it, that earnings restatement's kinda like losing that cargo plane of money everyone's talking about. Maybe there are some similarities here...nah, not really. – Ray Wert

Junk Bond Bubble? [CNBC]

Related:
Breaking! GM To Restate Prior Results, Delay 2006 Year-End And Fourth Quarter Numbers [internal]

• MSNBC's Hardblogger Tucker Carlson supports bio-fuels because it's time to make the ethanol:

"Bio diesel! Bush said it. And suddenly the Kucinich connection is clear. Kucinich was the only presidential candidate in the 2004 primaries whose campaign bus was powered by bio diesel. It was an old school bus, as I remember. I saw it putt by in Manchester during the New Hampshire primary one day. Its exhaust smelled like Dunkin' Donuts. For that reason alone, I support bio diesel...That's a euphemism for ethanol, the corn-based gasoline so dear to the corporate farmers of the Midwest. When Bush announced that the federal government will encourage the use of (read: provide more subsidies for) ethanol, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa looked like he'd hit the lotto. Which he had."

• Danny Howes of the Detroit News found a way to take in the White House shoveled shit talking points and not regurgitate it entirely as written:

""What we're not doing," a senior White House official told The Detroit News before the president's speech, "is trying to impose new mandates that will cripple Detroit. If you want a death sentence for American auto companies, get them in a bind where they can't sell their most popular cars." True enough...

...by themselves, the administration's proposals aren't a kind of corporate death sentence any more than the competing plans by Pelosi Dems and Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, to hold hearings on climate change and energy independence."

• As a counterpoint to Danny's White House man-love, the editors over at the Freep appear to swallow the Pelosi points hook, line and whatever. It seems they agree with the direction of Bush's speech, but believe domestic automakers need to come to the table to address climate change:

"this combination of agricultural carrots and a single-industry stick will take America only so far. The country needs innovative breakthroughs across the energy spectrum, and not just to reduce dependence on foreign oil. It may make more sense for the auto industry to come to the table on global warming discussions, as an increasing number of big firms have. That could give automakers more flexible options to drive efficiency rather than dickering over specific mileage standards — and lead to innovations that have yet to be conceived."

• I wanted to include comments from the conservative bloggers over at Red State — but they aren't talking at all about energy independence, fuel economy or bio-fuels. I wonder if this means Bush's base doesn't view this as a big deal. But, we were able to find one line over at Instapundit — it appears Glenn's in agreement with Tucker Carlson:

"Charles Grassley looks overjoyed at "renewable fuels." Pork marinated in ethanol?"

• The conserva-sphere wasn't the only place where bliss reigned this morning, The Washington Times decided to ignore the energy-related comments from the speech last night, and instead is focusing it's energies on going after the Democratic energy bill.

• The liberal bloggers on the other hand, are having a field day. For example, Bob Cesca over at The Huffington Post thinks Cheney had trouble stifling a laugh while Bush was talking about reducing gas consumption by 2017:

"Moving on. I had a really difficult time believing the president's plan to reduce gas consumption by 2017 with Vice President Hydrocarbon performing a spit-take in the background. I even turned the volume up really loud to see if I could hear his Penguin-ish, "Wah! Wahwahwah! That's rich." In case you missed it, when the president introduced this plan, the vice president, who was up to that moment practically asleep, almost laughed out loud. Big crooked grin across his face. Why? Because this is the same administration that helped to pull electric cars off the road. This is the administration that's subsidizing the oil industry with our money. This is a group of politicians who are allowing oil companies to drill on public land — for free. The Iraq invasion and occupation has been almost entirely about oil profits. If the vice president's LOL was any indication, there's no chance in hell they really intend to push this."

• Treehugger's got a timely post up about how we can all become Planeteers along with Captain Planet by seeking out stylish small cars.

• Presidential hopeful John Edwards had the best comment of the night of any televised political pundit — by saying the American people are "looking for — not to use a cliche here, but they were looking for Bold Moves(TM)" while on MSNBC after the speech.

So what did we learn last night? We long ago learned SOTU speeches are no longer meaningful, and rarely, if ever, provide "Bold Moves." But we did learn wood chips are apparently a good way to run our cars — and that we really do enjoy drinking games.

Related:
The Official Car Pundit Drinking Game : And Now For Something Completely Different [internal]

Springtime for Ethanol [NYT]

Related:
Austin Stays Golden, Drives From Ann Arbor to Colorado On E85; Sometimes A Guv's Gotta Do What A Guv's Gotta Do: Michigan Guv Granholm Creates Incentive Program For 1,000 BioFuel Pumps By 2008 [internal]