One Texas Dem in Congress opposed war bill

Lloyd Doggett was the only Democrat in Texas’ Congressional delegation to vote against the $106 billion war bill. (I’m assuming, on the GOP side, that Ron Paul’s opposition was driven first and foremost by the IMF funding rider, not the war bill itself.)

Eddie Bernice Johnson, up here, is no surprise in her yes vote. Sheila Jackson-Lee becomes more of a disappointment, from years ago compared to now, all the time.

That said, fully one-third of Democrats’ slim 32 “no” votes on the bill, which passed 226-202, came from California. If all 51 Democrats who voted against the original version had held firm, it would have been defeated.

The limp and impotent “antiwar” Democrats who chickenshitted at the end include this:

“I want to support my president,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who changed her no vote to a yes.

Eff “the president.” What about the American people? What about more soldiers being pounded down a quagmire?

But, there’s still hope. Some Senators oppose another rider on the bill, the cash for clunker cars attachment, as being insufficiently rigorous on the mileage boost required for the new vehicle purchased with the clunker money.

Update: Maybe I was being too generous to Doggett, even. Seems his vote was more aboutGov. Helmethair’s use of Obama stimulus funds than anything else.

Robert Reich, WSJ agree Obama DUMB on cars + CAFE

The Wall Street Journal’s op-ed page and former Clinton Secretary of Labor Robert Reich agree.

Obama’s raising CAFÉ standards, with the idea of loaning American carmakers (who have deliberately chosen not to do so in the past) as much as $50 billion to make these fuel-efficient cars, is TEH STUPID.

Indeed, Reich called it socialist lemon-making.

Let GM and Chrysler die, die, die dammit.

Meanwhile, do what I blogged yesterday and add a buck a gallon to federal gas taxes, to push people into buying higher-mileage cars sooner.

Why is Obama cutting automakers some slack on CAFÉ?

First, the facts. He is cutting them some slack on fuel economy standards as compared to the Bush Administration.

It’s not much, but it’s there.

As for the “only two months to prepare rules”? Sorry, not buying. All you had to do is tweak the already-existing Bush proposals. If this is because of Big Three financial issues, all you have to do is say that this is the case.

A simple explanation.

Hyundai improves engineering while Big Three whine

Hey, both Obama and McCain, before you give in to the Big Three TittyBabies demands for not only $50bil in loan guarantees, but also their push to loosen last year’s toughening of CAFÉ standards, read this from the Wall Street Journal.

Or, read this, since I found it first, although it’s French.

(Google Translator helps you out)

“The Hyundai group is able to meet by 2015, the standard fuel consumption of 35 miles per gallon (6.7 litres per 100 kilometres) which must apply to the USA in 2020 without recourse to hybrid vehicles,” said Lee Hyun-soon, head of research and development division of the Korean manufacturer.

Well, that’s pretty plain English.

If that’s not good enough for you, Schmuck Talk Express™ and Just.Another.Politician.™, here’s more from that same story.

Hyundai says it can do this by a combination of using more lighter materials, dual valve variable valve timing, and – eight-speed automatics.

Now, Lee’s comments about hybrids aside, Hyundai has a hybrid partnership, in Korea to start and coming here in 2010, with Kia.

I found the general story line referenced in this week’s issue of Gregg Easterbrook’s always-interesting Tuesday Morning Quarterback column at ESPN.

Oh, and the WSJ aside, WHERE is this in the American media?

And, ask me again why I plan on voting Green?