SUV Foe Norman Lear Has 21-Car Garage

Newsmax ^ | January 9, 2003 | Carl Limbacher

[Paul Atreides]

Leading Hollywood liberal Norman Lear, who helped fund TV ads hitting the air this week charging that gas-guzzling SUV owners are actively funding terrorists, isn't much of an energy conservationist himself, judging by the 21-car garage he added to his Los Angeles estate five years ago.

The SUV foe's garage is "built to hold 21 cars and stands 45 feet tall," according to a Los Angeles Times report on the environmentally offensive structure. "Lear's neighbors in Sullivan Canyon contend that the structure, complete with a tennis court atop, was built in violation of city height restrictions and with misrepresentations about its size," the paper added.

"Lear's parking garage has ruined the aesthetics of the wooded canyon and blocked [his neighbors'] views," said the Times, which described Sullivan Canyon as "a quiet enclave that abuts state parkland."

"We're going to have this aircraft carrier deck out there. It's incredibly ugly," complained Lear neighbor Gene Albrecht. "It looks like a helicopter landing pad," said Rob Deutschman, another resident who opposed the SUV hater's exhaust-belching structure.

A November 2002 LA Times report said that Lear's garage held 24 cars, though it's unclear whether the additional parking space means Lear had unloaded a few of his larger gas guzzlers or enlarged his garage with three new stalls.

The anti-SUV ads bankrolled in part by Lear were put together by political gadfly Arianna Huffington, who calls her attack on gas-guzzlers "the Detroit Project." Narrated by a young girl, the commercials attempt to paint SUV owners as aiders and abettors of the 9/11 terrorists.

"This is George," the girl begins. "This is the gas that George bought for his SUV." The screen flashes a map of the Middle East. "These are the countries where the executives bought the oil that made the gas that George bought for his SUV." Cut to video of armed terrorists in a desert. "And these are the terrorists who get money from those countries every time George fills up his SUV."

A second Huffington-Lear ad taunts, "What is your SUV doing to our national security?" according to the Chicago Tribune.

On Wednesday, Huffington got into an on-air tussle with nationally syndicated radio talker Sean Hannity, who called her on the carpet for her own gas-guzzling ways and whose producer, James Grisham, first unearthed the 1998 LA Times report on Lear.

"Arianna Huffington, you were married to a very wealthy man, you're a very wealthy woman yourself," noted Hannity. "How many private planes have you flown in, in your life?"

"What does this have to do with the SUV ads," the energy conservation crusader sputtered, before admitting, "I have ridden private planes. They're not planes that I own. They're planes that were going somewhere in any case."

Hannity also asked Huffington her how large her California mansion was and how much oil she used to heat and cool it, to which the political gadfly responded, "That's none of your business."

After Huffington refused to detail any more of her personal energy consumption habits, Hannity unearthed a 1997 LA Times report revealing that her California home tipped the scales at 9,000 square feet.

[Paul Atreides]

to which the political gadfly responded, "That's none of your business."

Yet, the ignorant cow is making what other people drive, HER business!

[AD from SpringBay]

Nothing like liberal elitist hypocrisy to make the day brighter.

[kellynla]

to which the political gadfly responded, "That's none of your business." BUSTED...

[evolved_rage]

Hell hath no fury greater than a woman who has turned her husband gay!!!!

[inkling]

This reminds me of a Robert Redford comment. Someone asked the environmentalist why he was against people owning SUVs when he himself owned one. He remarked that it was okay for him to drive one since he used it for "exploring."

In other words it's okay to rip through the forest in a truck -- just don't use it on the roadways.

[widowithfoursons]

That 21 gun car garage would make an excellent homeless shelter (and I'm sure it's heated).

[amused]

ahhhh another Streisandanista case of "do as I say, not as I do"

[1Old Pro]

Lear and Huffington are asses. This story is so absurd that it almost seems like "Onion" material.

[Paul Atreides]

Yeah, go tearing through the forest, running over animals and plants, rather than keeping it on the asphalt.

[RightWhale]

What? Lear is polluting aesthetics with his garage? This sounds series.

[Paul Atreides]

Isn't it amazing how, when you see a story that is more outlandish than the Onion, it turns out to be about a lefty?

[Fiddlstix]

Typical Liberals

[cactusSharp]

and the Warren Beaty comment that politicians and
the rich had no business being in politics to which
a reporter asked ..".aren't you rich...does this mean you will forgo a salary to make a picture "
Beaty grinned,and dropped his presidential quest

lastly,Huffington conservative ? as much as Blix is
an inspector,I guess.

[mountaineer]

"These are the countries where the executives bought the oil that made the gas that George bought for his SUV."

Sounds like an argument for drilling in ANWR. I'm sure Lear and Huffington would support that.

[zeaal]

Don't Kias and Nissans and Hondas use gasoline to operate? And, based on Huffington, Lear, etc.'s commercial (and their way of thinking) ... does this mean the eighteen wheelers transporting goods across the U.S. for consumers every where are also contributing to terrorism?

[Sender]

They had Lawrence Bender from the Detroit Project on Cavuto last night bashing SUVs, promoting the ads, etc. So Cavuto asks Bender "So driving a gas-guzzler aids terrorists?".
"Yep".
"So," asked Cavuto, "what do you drive?"
"A Mercedes", answered Bender.
"That's not exactly a fuel-efficient car" noted Cavuto.
"Yes," answered a sheepish Bender, "but I have a Toyota Prius on order."

In other words, he belatedly realized the exposure of his blatant hypocrisy and is now trying to do damage control. But it's too late, Lawrence, you're busted.

[tom paine 2]

Conservation? Thats for the little people. Well arrianna and Norman we have finally caught on to your little scam. It ain't gonna work. We should start outing other so called conservationists like the folks down at the Sierra Club and Greenpeace.

[Paul Atreides]

I'll never forget the mention of Al "destroy the internal combustion engine" Gore out pressing the flesh at, of all things, a NASCAR event!

[Ditto]

"...lastly,Huffington conservative ?

Are Gold Diggers bad for the environment?

[1Old Pro]

And the liberal media reports it as if it were totally legitimate and NEVER ask the tough questions which would reveal the hypocrisy and flush the effort down the toilet where it belongs.

Lear and Huffington should be being LAUGHED AT by ANYONE who thinks.