Pawlenty defends ethanol subsidies (First Newt, now Tim, Who's Next?)

The Hill ^ | 04/28/2011 | Christian Heinze

[SeekAndFind]

Tim Pawlenty, after being asked yesterday about his support for ethanol subsidies, which is a key issue in Iowa.

"We can't just pull the rug out from under the industry," he said.

"There are going to have to be some changes, but we have to be fair-minded about it."

Earlier this year, the National Review's Katrina Trinko detailed the ethanol records of Mitch Daniels and T-Paw, among others.

She found that both were good friends to the industry -- an uncomfortable, ideological brotherhood, but politically-helpful in both Iowa and their own states.

When Mitch Daniels was sworn in as governor in January of 2005, there was one ethanol plant in Indiana. Now there are twelve operating plants and a thirteenth set to start running early next year.

This isn’t an accident: Daniels aimed to increase Indiana’s annual ethanol and biodiesel production to 1 billion gallons by 2008.

As for T-Paw:

Pawlenty signed legislation mandating that all gas sold in Minnesota contain 20 percent ethanol by 2013, up from 10 percent.... In 2005, Pawlenty also urged other states, at a meeting of the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition (which had 31 member states at the time), to mandate that all gasoline contain 10 percent ethanol by 2010.

And it goes on.

The Wall Street Journal also slammed Newt Gingrich for his coziness with the industry, concluding:

Some pandering is inevitable in presidential politics, but, befitting a college professor, Mr. Gingrich insists on portraying his low vote-buying as high "intellectual" policy.

This doesn't bode well for his judgment as a president. Even Al Gore now admits that the only reason he supported ethanol in 2000 was to goose his presidential prospects, and the only difference now between Al and Newt is that Al admits he was wrong.

So T-Paw's not alone, although it's a lonely cause outside the Iowa GOP.

[TheBattman]

Any “alternative energy” program, if viable, will be self-supportive. If ethanol were so great, it would be a no-brainer, and would not need subsidies which not only make the cost of our fuel more expensive, but really are an additional tax on all parts of our economy - because what is essentially “burning our food” for fuel causes feed and nearly all commodities to skyrocket.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

I’m not and I’m not in favor of “single-issue” politics. But it’s highly depressing or maybe I should say discouraging to see promising conservatives impale themselves on FLAMING BONEHEAD stupidity.

Another one bites the dust.

[okie01]

If ethanol were so great, it would be a no-brainer, and would not need subsidies which not only make the cost of our fuel more expensive, but really are an additional tax on all parts of our economy...

Only government could come up with an "alternative energy scheme" that a.) made filling your tank more expensive, b.) actually burned more fuel to go a given distance and c.) did nothing to reduce pollution.

And, at the very same time, inflated food prices.

Only government could conceive of such a scheme. If it had been proposed in the private sector, it would've been laughed out of every board room in the country (with the possible exception of General Electric's).

[DoughtyOne]

Never before has a party obtained power with such an incapable destructive person. Never before has the opposing party had a less capable string of losers raring to go.

We're in dire straights. And yet, it's not the current condition of my nation that causes me so much consternation regarding the future of my homeland.

It's the realization that despite the glaring need for leadership, there simply isn't any coming from either party, and there is very little on the horizon to instill a glimmer of hope.

So far...

...is my favorite campaign slogan.

Color our nation in desperate need of a yep...

[Sporke]

I will never vote for a politician who favors ethanol, and if they all support it, I’ll vote 3rd party or not at all. Ethanol is not only bad business and bad for engines, it’s also starving people. Maybe not in the US, yet, but overseas, where poor countries can’t afford to buy as much corn as they used to.

[JoeFromSidney]

"There are going to have to be some changes, but we have to be fair-minded about it."

How about being fair to the people who have been paying the bills? I don't care if some people have gotten used to the subsidy. They've leeched off me long enough. Cut them off cold turkey.

[GOPsterinMA]

I hear you and and am with you.

[Buckeye McFrog]

gotta suck-up to those Iowans with the Hawkeye Cauci coming up (we’ve gotta move some real primaries ahead of this thing)

[The Shrew]

It’s our own fault for allowing IA to have such enormously disproportionate influence in our choosing of a president. Any candidate with reasonable notions with regard to agricultural subsidies (farm welfare) will get clobbered and probably knocked out of the race before it really gets started.

Same to a lesser degree with NH.

Sums it up rather nicely. Thank you.

TS

[The Shrew]

Top Ethanol Producers and Their Dem Senators:

1 Iowa 3.59M Gallons Sen. Tom Harkin (D)

2 Nebraska 1.74M Gallons Sen. Ben Nelson (D)

3 Illinois 1.22M Gallons Sen. Dick Durbin (D)

4 Minnesooota 1.11M Gallons Sen. Stuart Smalley (D>

Thanks for the list!

TS

[Georgia Girl 2]

Bye Bye TPaw.

[RoadTest]

Burning ethanol in our vehicles while petroleum sits under our feet unused is sheer stupidity.

[Marine_Uncle]

The “deals” just keep coming along.

[dalebert]

helping to fuel inflation. mor control more inflation

[RinaseaofDs]

Actually Tim, you can, since the science doesn’t work. Even the Sierra Club thinks its a bad idea now.

[AmericanVictory]

Ethanol has done nothing to reduce dependence on foreign oil, is bad for engines, polllutes the air and damages pipelines. Moreover, in arid western states it demands water that they don’t have if they attempt to produce it locally, which, because of what it does to pipelines, is required. Moreover, the excessive growing of field corn for ethanol pointlessly increases the harmful run off of good topsoil. Other than that it’s just great. And by the way it reduces engine power output.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Nobody(Republican) wants to have to deal with Obama’s destruction.

SJB “ There ain’t a Ronald Reagan or a William Wallace among ye! “

[stephenjohnbanker]

Yeah....Mr. Smith left Washington.

[SunkenCiv]

• The Bum Rap on Biofuels
• Campaign to vilify ethanol revealed

[dalereed]

Im 100% against anyone that supports ethanol!