Posted on 01/19/2016 2:01:06 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz received an anti-endorsement from the governor of Iowa, Tuesday, host of the country's lead-off presidential caucus, on account of his failure to support renewable fuels like ethanol.
Gov. Terry Branstad,a Republican who has not endorsed any of the GOP presidential candidates for president, said at a renewable fuels conference near Des Moines that Iowans should reject Cruz because he supports phasing out the fuel standard.
His comments,which come within two weeks of the state's critical Feb. 1 caucus,could resonate with state farmers who grow the corn used in ethanol,and the soybeans widely used in biodiesel or risk getting trounced at the Iowa caucuses.
"We should not be supporting somebody who is opposing those things that are of critical importance to the economic well-being of our state," Branstad said.
Cruz,the junior senator from Texas,is a vocal supporter of his home state's oil industry, which generally opposes the use of ethanol,and has supported in the past ending the renewable fuels standard,a federal regulation that sets a minimum for the amount of ethanol blended in the nation's gasoline supply.
Asked if he wants to see Cruz defeated in Iowa,Branstad responded:"Yes."
"This would be a great way to send a strong message," the Iowa governor added.
Cruz has called for phasing out the fuel standard requirement over five years as part of his plan to end all energy subsidies and mandates. He authored a Senate bill in 2014 to end it by 2020.
Speaking to reporters in Center Barnstead,New Hampshire Tuesday, Cruz..[said] Iowa corn farmers are wonderful Americans,but Iowa corn farmers are not career politicians,..Iowa corn farmers are frustrated with career politicians. They're fed up with politicians who make deals every day to grow government, to expand the debt,to do things like fund Planned Parenthood,to do things like support Obamacare,to do things like give in to amnesty."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
I don’t want more ethanol in my gasoline. Ethanol costs more than gasoline and is an inferior fuel. Bring back 3-methyl-heptane without the ethanol cut! Allow me the freedom to purchase the fuel I want to buy instead of cramming unwanted ethanol down my throat.
People like welfare when it's welfare for them.
People like Slavery when it's slavery for others.
Are you HAPPY about more ethanol in your gas tank?
Yep. Trump is definitely out-liberalling Cruz on this one. Bigtime. And he has the GOPe behind him now.
Winning Iowa didn’t do much for Santorum in 2012.
These are his core values - ethanol, single-payer, Kelo, progressive [sic] tax rates, expediting illegals back into the country, . . .
Or Mike Huckabee in 2008.
Spending my money to win Iowa. No thanks.
Good point. Trying to warn people about Trump seems to be fruitless. It is becoming more and more frightening to see the extent to which people are projecting onto Trump that which they want to see from him, and in the face of his lifetime of supporting liberal, big government type policies. This is exactly what happened with Obama in 2008, when people fell for all his “soaring rhetoric” about uniting America.
This must be absolutely killing you, but it’s fascinating how Trump has completely taken over the party. I would expect an endorsement from Branstad and use of his political network sometime in the next week. Ted is just about finished. You are watching the Art of the Deal in practice right before your eyes.
Right you are. Just like 8 years ago with Obama. I’m through with Trump.
“I like Trump, but this was an unforced error.”
Trump has always been a crony capitalist. See those like him who get rich from government are winners middle class taxpayers are just losers who get to pay for their enterprises.
He thinks the gov should regulate the formulation of fuel and dictate it to private enterprise.
Now he attacks Cruz for being mean to poor old Mitch McConnell.
He is a tool.
“As long as they use organic corn & soy, I have no problem. The ethanol market will die by itself.”
Not when Trump makes it a mandated regulation read his statement.
Is he a liar or phony?
Ok, Trump, you’ve got a deal. IF you give me a new Trumpmobile after ethanol messes up my engine and forces me to pay more in gas prices.
Well that’s what Cruz gets for not abandoning principles and cozying up to the corn lobby like Trump and the other typical politicians.
Nope. Ethanol CONTAINS 30% less energy per gallon. However, because a higher percentage of that energy is converted to locomotion the difference in what is DELIVERED is not 30%, but in the single digits.
Ethanol as a fuel (in modern times vs the early days of combustion engines) has failed economically, and never should have been mandated/subsidized in the first place. But most of the other arguments against it are wrong and need to die. We should let it die based on facts.
Trump’s taken a lot of money himself from the government teat - spread the ‘wealth.’
Basic physics don’t change: Burning the biosphere for energy is very dumb.
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