McCain Favors End To Ethanol Subsidy As Food Costs Soar

Investors Business Daily ^ | Monday, April 28 2008 | Jed Graham

[Jacquerie]

Most politicians have been swept up by the notion the U.S. could supply a good portion of its energy needs from Midwest farms, instead of from unfriendly regimes in the Middle East and elsewhere. In December, Congress overwhelmingly passed, and President Bush signed, a new energy bill dramatically raising renewable fuel mandates.

But that consensus will be open to debate in the presidential election with John McCain as the GOP standard bearer. He’s one of the few politicians who oppose handouts to the ethanol industry.

[Jacquerie]

Did a search, didn't see it. I doubt the link thingy works. Please help, it is a great article. McCain is slowly drawing distinctions between himself the rat bookends.

[samtheman]

People warned about the effect of this craziness on food prices... warned years ago. But did anyone listen? Nope.

[spokeshave]

Finally....some sanity....

Next up...drill ANWAR.....

Then build refineries on closed military bases.

[AndyJackson]

Stop worrying about whether or not it might have been posted before. Except for a couple of really anal retentive posting police who ought to go become liberals they are so fixated on their own self importance, most of us are happy to see it all, and seeing it twice really is no problem.

Of course, the substantive issue raised shows what a continuing idiot George Bush has been as President. That food prices would skyrocket, while the resulting ethonol production would barely dent fuel prices was entirely foreseeable and foreseen. So long as everyone went along with the neo cons who thought that the invasion of Iraq and their notion of how to conduct affairs afterwards held, he was happy to give as much money as possible to the K-street lobbyists representing ADM.

[samtheman]

Finally....some sanity....

Next up...drill ANWAR.....

Then build refineries on closed military bases.

Hold your horses, there spokeshave. Just because he's suddenly slightly less insane than the rats on this subject doesn't mean he's ready for total sanity.

One step at a time.

Easy does it.

Too sane too soon and the old ticker might give out.

[Cyber Liberty]

Honest John’s pledged the holy fraternity of Global Warning. This is just a ruse, he’ll soon fall into the “let’s burn our food” norm. Just watch.

[goldstategop]

Let the market, not the government, decide if ethanol is a good idea. There's no reason the government should be subsidizing increased food prices on the rest of us.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[rlmorel]

Yes. Perfect.

[steelyourfaith]

ethanol ping

[rlmorel]

Not the eeeevil NEOCONS!

[skinkinthegrass]

OMG! ....Is this the real Sinister Juan "Keating Five / Strawberries Queeq" McCranky....what have they done to "their RINO / CINO"....this ain't gonna "play well" w/ NYT/WaPo/ABCNNBcBS/pBS

this is a hopeful sign, that Juan knows HE NEEDS US AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND...WE MUST CONTINUE "IGNORING" HIM....CARROT OR STICK, He must decide.

[Cobra64]

People warned about the effect of this craziness on food prices... warned years ago. But did anyone listen? Nope.

It's because politicians live in

[Dr. Sivana]

McCain has his problems, but I seem to recall that he was one of the very few who did not pander to the Iowans on this issue.

Full disclosure: I had formerly supported more use of ethanol as part of a broad based diversification of energy sources for security reasons. I am not too proud to say when a boondoggle is a boondoggle. There are things we should do to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources, corn based ethanol is not one of them.

[Cobra64]

Let the market, not the government, decide if ethanol is a good idea. There's no reason the government should be subsidizing increased food prices on the rest of us.

Correct. Get the tree huggers, Dept. of Energy, and EPA the hell out of the way, and let the (free) market handle this.

[Balding_Eagle]

Of course, the substantive issue raised shows what a continuing idiot George Bush has been as President. That food prices would skyrocket, while the resulting ethonol production would barely dent fuel prices was entirely foreseeable and foreseen.

The piece of legislation that lead to the current levels of ethanol required was loudly and proudly passed just this week 14 years ago.

Then Vice President AL Gore, in a very public battle, cast the tie breaking vote in the Senate. IIRC it was 4/22/1994.

[RightWhale]

let the (free) market handle this

Hasn't been a free market since 1929.

[HerrBlucher]

There are things we should do to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources

Yes, drill Gaia's brains out and extract every ounce of oil we can.

[BfloGuy]

Stop worrying about whether or not it might have been posted before. Except for a couple of really anal retentive posting police who ought to go become liberals they are so fixated on their own self importance, most of us are happy to see it all, and seeing it twice really is no problem.

Let me second that. Many of us don't have the luxury of scrolling through hundreds of posts all day long. The more often an article is posted, the better.

That said, McCain will be very brave if he actually takes a stand against government ethanol subsidies. I think the time is perfect, though. It won't make me like him, but it will help me choke down the bile when I vote for him in November.

[SERKIT]

My Energy Manifesto:

* Cease all ethanol production. It requires more energy to make than it yields and the unintended consequence is higher food costs. Just say "no" to ethanol!

* Immediately create only ONE "blend" of gasoline and cease regional blends which are stupid, costly, and meaningless. Even if this is the "cleanest" blend, just make it ONE and be done with it. Trucking custom blends around the country is wasteful. * Drill for oil in Alaska, Gulf of Mexico, and other sites in the CONUS as a matter of national security.

* Construct state-of-the-art refineries and/or retrofit current and dormant ones and crank up production. * Construct Pebble-Bed Reactors (or other similar designs) that are not considered "breeders", are rechargeable, and cleaner than any current design.

* Use the residual heat from the reactor above to process motor fuel from coal. Even though Clinton "stole" some of the best coal reserves, we still have a lot to use.

* Have Iraq pay for its freedom, and maybe even pay us back for their freedom. We'll still need their oil.

* Bust up the cartels.

* Find out if the oil speculators are in fact manipulating the market to our detriment.

[lesser_satan]

There's no reason the government should be subsidizing increased food prices on the rest of us.

There's also a 50-cent/ gallon tariff on imported ethanol, meaning we can't use the much cheaper sugar ethanol from Brazil. Protectionism run amok.