President Bush eases up on auto industry in State of the Union address
We'll be honest. We didn't watch President Bush's State of the Union address last night, the final one of his second presidential term. Our disinterest can probably best be measured by the fact that the address being broadcast in high definition was the only draw for us, which got us to watch for about five minutes and then it was back to American Gladiators on the DVR. Apparently we didn't miss much as it relates to the auto industry. Automotive News reports that the president called for more federal research into advanced batteries and renewable fuels for cars and trucks of the future, and that was about it. It's a far cry from last year's State of the Union where President Bush declared that the U.S. is addicted to oil and made a little weed called switchgrass famous. The heavy-handed 2006 address was likely one of the factors that led to getting a new energy bill passed in December with significantly stricter Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements for automakers. With just a year to go in his final term, however, it seems President Bush isn't pushing the auto industry as hard as he did last year. At the same time, the auto industry also seems less in need of a push in 2008. The aforementioned new energy bill seems to have taken care of that.
[Source: Automotive News, Photo by TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty]
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_thumbnail.jpg "2011 Audi A8: Live from Miami")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
cowboy bob 4:03PM (1/29/2008)
Wind turbines. Hydroelectric. Nuclear. Geothermal. Solar. They just don't get it. The technology already is proven. All we need is a good battery.
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Quattrofan 5:09PM (1/29/2008)
Thats nu_cu_lar.... Mkey!
Seoultrain 5:17PM (1/29/2008)
yep, the 's' is silent, stupid.
Seoultrain 4:12PM (1/29/2008)
just 1 more freakin year..
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Wally 4:33PM (1/29/2008)
Just imagine...wouldn't it had been better if Ron Paul was giving the speech?
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JC 4:40PM (1/29/2008)
From the bunker in my back yard? Not really. I kind of like having roads, schools, and basic public services.
MikeW 8:03PM (1/29/2008)
You pay your gas tax, so that pays for roads (minus how much is siphoned out for other BS)
Schools are paid for by primarily by 'property tax'
When does the federal government pay for 'basic public services'
Forget Ron Paul's state of the Union, how about inaugural address. Hypothetical
http://www.infowars.net/articles/september2007/050907Inaugural.htm
and didn't Bush rehash two debunked 'terror plots', he has really lost his mind.
Andrew 4:57PM (1/29/2008)
Say what you will about the president, man, he gives a mean state of the union speech. He had the entire floor in standing ovation mode the entire night.
BTW John Neff: Your television preferences explains a lot.
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Seoultrain 5:16PM (1/29/2008)
You may think he makes a "mean" speech, but he doesn't actually say anything. He made broad, unarguable statements the whole time. I watched it for about 30 minutes, and felt like it was the biggest waste of time. He doesn't deliver his speeches well. Seems more like a well-prepared high-schooler.
And about having the entire floor standing, that is untrue. There were several instances where one half of the audience (Republican) was standing and applauding, and the other half stayed in their seats. Pretty comical to watch. I also saw a number of yawns.
In the end, it's all talk. And from his track record, Bush's words are pretty worthless. American Gladiators FTW!
Andrew 5:26PM (1/29/2008)
Yeah, who needs a president that stands behind what he says? Of course the democrats didn't support everything he said, that's politics. Despite what the media wants you to believe, almost everyone in the legislative branch actually likes the guy.
No, it's ok, go the ignorant popular direction, do what John Stewart tells you.
Seoultrain 5:39PM (1/29/2008)
Well, my point was that America needs a president who stand behind his words, and Bush hasn't really done that the last 7 years.
I don't doubt that Bush is likable. He's disarming and charming enough, but as a president, he's a failure. Are you arguing otherwise? seriously?
And yes, I enjoy The Daily Show. But I'll go out on a limb and say I'm less blinded by Jon Stewart than you are by this presidency.
ocnj179 5:39PM (1/29/2008)
well count me in for the "ignorant popular direction" group
Andrew 5:45PM (1/29/2008)
I think he's one of the first presidents to stand behind his words in some time. I'm not even a republican and I can see that.
I think he was elected during a very difficult time in world history. Given hindsight, he may not have made the best decisions, but he made the ones that no one else wanted to.
As for Jon Stewart, he's a smarmy prick, but appeals to a certain demographic.
Andrew 5:49PM (1/29/2008)
Blast away guys, it's not like I'm not expecting any support here. I realize my opinions are fringe.
Mallory 7:04PM (1/29/2008)
Yes, the opinion that the Bush administration has been anything other than catastrophic to the U.S. and the Constitution does put you in the fringe. I don't think there's really any doubt that history will show this administration as beiong one of the most inept in history.
tanooki2003 9:48AM (1/30/2008)
Bush's State of the Union address was a bunch of BS. If you had a brain in your head and read any news outside of the US media you will see that most of the issues he discussed he was totally against until someone in his party woke up and told him that he needs to rethink his ignorant opinions and reconsider a lot of things, especially the issue relating to the environment and trying to make US a leader in being environmentally friendly.
For some of the smart knowledgeable people who do read world news outside of the US you do recall that the US, being the world's largest polluters, China second, was late to the game because Bush has all the time stated that any capping of emissions in this country would harm US interests and did not want to have anything to do with what other countries are doing to reduce pollution (the Kyoto Protocol). I'm not sure who pounded into Bush's ignorant skull that this is needed but I think he finally got it when he gave the state of the union address.
There are many other issues that he addressed that he was totally against because he wanted to concentrate ALL efforts to the war instead of further developing the USA into a better country and once again making it a leader. Just look around.
I honestly feel sorry of the many ignorant people who support Bush and think that he was the greatest president this country ever had. Going into another country under false pretenses and kicking @ss is not what makes a good president at all.
Flame me if you must but understand this, your opinions about my statement or me will not change the fact that Bush will in fact go down in history as the worst US president ever. Bush is so bad that he will make Carter come out like a champion.
Quattrofan 5:44PM (1/29/2008)
Andrew, howz that Bush/Cheney 2004 sticker holding up? Well, its 2008 now and certainly the time to pull ones head out of ones ass.
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Andrew 5:47PM (1/29/2008)
Nice use of the reply button. BTW: I love your "If you don't hold over-simplistic opinions you have your head up your ass" comment. There's no irony in that whatsoever.
J M C 3 7:04PM (1/29/2008)
I'm with you,Andrew.The John Stewart reference is spot on(you might add Colbert to that too).It's an honor to be in your fringe group!
DKB_SATX 7:14PM (1/29/2008)
Ah but Andrew, you DO hold (or at least espouse) overly-simplistic political opinions. People personally like the guy. He "stands behind what he says" by which I take it you mean he says the same things over and over again, whether they're right or not... not quite true, but fine if you want to believe it.
I'm a fiscal conservative and probably a federalist leaning a little toward small-L libertarian (not a zero-government whack-job) and I'm from Texas... I thought Bush was useless before he was elected governor, and he proved me right well before he ever made it to Daddy's Office.
The fact that you dislike Jon Stewart doesn't make W a good president. The fact that he's helped his cronies damage our economy, got us balls-deep in a useless wasteful war when he hadn't a clue what Shi'a or Sunni meant and has been the most flagrant money-waster of anyone pretending to be a conservative EVER means he's a bad one.