Just the other day we were talkin' bout the problems Democratic Senators had with walking both to and from their big Capitol Hill gas prices press conference — opting instead for their aides-de-camp to roll in to rescue their bosses in GM and Ford's biggest-and-baddest SUV's. Apparently the situation was so impressively ironic Republican house members decided to go with a similar playbook, with Republican House Speaker Lenny — err — Denny Hastert and other top House elephants were photographed in and around the General's newest hydrogen powered van. Despite walking to the presser, Hastert in dramatic fashion, left in the non-hydrocarbon-emittin' van. Was he going back to the office? Nah — he was just turnin' the corner to step into his pre-positioned gas-guzzler for the ride back to his office. The WashPo take on the PR response after the jump:
Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean , showing why he deserves a raise, explained that Hastert "wanted to ride the van" — really he did — "to show his commitment to new energy-efficient vehicles."
The problem, Bonjean said, was that Hastert's security detail wouldn't have it. Way too dangerous. Perhaps the security folks thought the vehicle was related to the ill-fated Hindenburg?
In any event, "the security officials demanded that he ride in the much more secure armored SUV," Bonjean said.
So what's good enough for GM to sell to the American people is apparently not so good for Representatives of the American people to ride in. Right — I hope security knows they just traded one gas-filled rubber-soled gas-bag for another.
A 'Commitment' Goes Only So Far [Washington Post]
Related:
What Would Senators Drive...Two Blocks? [internal]