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Do as I say environmentalism

Barack Obama can be added to the list of environmental hypocrites.

In April, Dennis Hastert, after speaking on the issue of gas prices, left the event in a hybrid SUV, changed a block later for his regular SUV, and proceeded to his office. At the same time, Charles Schumer and Barbara Boxer got in their own personal cars and drove to their office across the street.

So it comes as no surprise that Senator Obama, who Democrats regularly wet their panties over, is just as guilty as every other talking head in DC. It turns out that he went on a long rant about how Americans can cut their fuel consumption by using hybrids. After the event, he hopped into his gas-guzzling SUV (a GMC Envoy). Drudge got in touch with Obama’s Press Secretary who was shoveling shit so fast he could’ve fixed the levees in New Orleans before they broke.

“What Senator Obama has long advocated is the use of vehicles that are more fuel efficient, including but not exclusively hybrids,” he said, “The vehicle senator obama travels in while in illinois is a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV), which can run on e85, a blended fuel made of 85 percent ethanol. So he in fact was practicing what he preached at the town hall meeting in Metropolis yesterday when he said we must drive fewer gas-guzzling vehicles.”

Was he?

Drudge consulted the website for the E85 fuel organization and found nothing about GMC’s envoy. I decided to go right to the source. Here’s a list of vehicles GMC has produced over the past three years that are E85-capable:

2007

* Chevy Avalanche (LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines)
* Chevy Impala (3.5L V6 LZE engine)
* Chevy Monte Carlo (3.5L V6 LZE engine)
* Chevy Silverado (LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines)
* Chevy Suburban (LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines)
* Chevy Tahoe (LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines)
* GMC Sierra (LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines)
* GMC Yukon (LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines)
* GMC Yukon XL (LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines)

2006

* Chevy Avalanche (L59 5.3L V8 engine)
* Chevy Impala (LZE 3.5L V6 engine)
* Chevy Monte Carlo (LZE 3.5L V6 engine)
* Chevy Silverado (L59 5.3L V8 engine)
* Chevy Suburban (L59 5.3L V8 engine)
* Chevy Tahoe (L59 5.3L V8 engine)
* GMC Sierra (L59 5.3L V8 engine)
* GMC Yukon (L59 5.3L V8 engine)
* GMC Yukon XL (L59 5.3L V8 engine)

2005

* 2005 Chevy Avalanche
* 2005 Chevy Silverado
* 2005 Chevy Suburban
* 2005 Chevy Tahoe*
* 2005 GMC Sierra
* 2005 GMC Yukon
* 2005 GMC Yukon XL
* 2004 Chevy Silverado
* 2004 Chevy Suburban
* 2004 Chevy Tahoe
* 2004 GMC Sierra
* 2004 GMC Yukon
* 2004 GMC Yukon XL
* 2003 Chevy Silverado
* 2003 Chevy Suburban
* 2003 Chevy Tahoe*
* 2003 GMC Sierra
* 2003 GMC Yukon
* 2003 GMC Yukon XL
* 2002 Chevy Silverado
* 2002 Chevy Suburban
* 2002 Chevy S-10
* 2002 Chevy Tahoe
* 2002 GMC Sierra
* 2002 GMC Sonoma
* 2002 GMC Yukon
* 2002 GMC Yukon XL
* 2001 Chevy S-10
* 2001 GMC Sonoma
* 2000 Chevy S-10
* 2000 GMC Sonoma

I don’t see an Envoy on that list.

Now, understand that I don’t care what people drive. If Senator Obama wanted to drive a Hummer H2, I don’t think that’s consequential in anyway. My problems with the good Senator in this case are quite simple.

1. He shouldn’t be telling everyone else what to drive and then driving a gas-guzzling SUV himself. Spare me the lectures, Senator. It’s pretty damned hypocritical.

2. If you are going to drive an SUV, go right ahead, but don’t lie about it. The Envoy is not E85 capable. Not according to their website or GM’s. Don’t sell me some bill of goods about how you really are saving the environment in your vehicle. You’re not and you’re lying.

Then again, being a hypocritical liar is, in no way, a disqualification for being a Senator anyway.

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August 16th, 2006 | Category: Hypocrites
  • Oh, and his press secretary, barring some major wrangling and technical achievement, lied. I have a problem with that also.
  • Wait a minute……before you escalate the Senator into being a war profiteer or murderer or drug addict or whatever way you are going to try and stretch this.


    Wait a minute, who said any of that? Certainly not me, so could we stick to what I said and not your straw men that you're beating to death?

    I simply pointed out that someone who drives around in a rather large SUV should not be lecturing anyone on conservation.

    We don’t have to stay the course with obvious mistakes, do we?


    If he thought he made a mistake, he'd sell it, price be damned. We're talking about conservation not compensation. If he felt that strongly about it, money wouldn't be an issue.
  • JPD
    Wait a minute......before you escalate the Senator into being a war profiteer or murderer or drug addict or whatever way you are going to try and stretch this.

    Maybe he bought the SUV before gas was $3.40 a gallon.

    I purchased a mini-van when gas was hovering around $1.00 a gallon and I am sorry about it now and I am telling everyone that will listen not to buy a gas hog SUV or mini-van.

    Maybe he is just speaking from experience. Or is that something terrible too? Last year gas was not at $3.40 a gallon at least it wasn't in Chicago.

    At the very least I know he speaks from experience and don't say he should sell it. I've tried selling mine and if I want to give it away for next to nothing I can sell it. If I want a fair price bassed on purchase price and regular automotive depreciation charts, I can't sell it.

    Let's thank the Senator for realizing a mistake when he makes it and let's thank him for urging us to practice conservation. There is nothing wrong with realizing you made a mistake and changing your thinking.

    We don't have to stay the course with obvious mistakes, do we?
  • I loved this part:

    IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONVERT A VEHICLE THAT WAS DESIGNED FOR GASOLINE TO OPERATE ON E85?

    Yes. However, there are no conversions or after-market parts that have been certified by the EPA as meeting the standards to maintain clean exhaust emissions. Technically speaking, converting a vehicle that was designed to operate on unleaded gasoline only to operate on another form of fuel is a violation of the federal law and the offender may be subject to significant penalties. No after-market conversion company has successfully certified an E85 kit that would allow a gasoline vehicle to operate on 85 percent ethanol.

    The differences in fuel injector size, air-fuel ratio, PCM calibrations, material composition of the fuel lines, pumps and tanks are just a few of the components that contribute to making an E85 conversion extremely complex. It is our understanding that at least one company is working to obtain EPA certification. We will monitor the situation closely, understanding the certification process can be time consuming, difficult and expensive.


    Well, there we go.

    Either he's lying, he's breaking the law, or his big proud vehicle is actually doing more harm for the environment than a gas auto:

    During the 1980’s and early 1990’s, many small companies were formed that were altering gasoline powered vehicles to operate on other forms of fuels such as propane, compressed natural gas, 85 percent ethanol, and 85 percent methanol. The marketing program of these conversion companies was based on the premise that it was cheaper to operate a vehicle on alternative fuels. However, the vehicles being converted were engineered, designed and built to operate on unleaded only. Shortly after the emergence of the “conversion firms” the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that when converted from gasoline to another form of fuel, the exhaust emissions from these converted vehicles were often much “dirtier” than prior to conversion. See explanation regarding EPA Memo 1A. The use of alternative fuels in the transportation sector has been built around the objectives of using cleaner, non-gasoline based components.


    Oopsies :-)
  • I don't know this Senator from a hole in the ground, but he may not be a liar. He could have had his envoy converted, however, that would possibly be a violation of federal law, which would be funnier still.
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