Campaigns save energy with hybrid cars

[DeclinetoState]

That is, if and when they actually use them.

By NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 26 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - This year's presidential candidates are trying to get good mileage out of getting good mileage. The candidates, who do a lot of talking about the need for greater energy efficiency, are not just asking who walks the walk but also, who drives the hybrid?

Democratic candidate John Edwards makes a point of telling people that after years of driving a regular sport utility vehicle, he and his wife bought a hybrid model to shuttle their kids, strollers, toys, luggage and other stuff between Washington, D.C., and North Carolina.

This month, Edwards announced his campaign would be "carbon-neutral," meaning it will do what it can to limit energy consumption and then buy "carbon offsets" to counterbalance the emissions produced by the energy it does use.

Edwards is not the only White House hopeful trying to make his own energy use part of the political equation this year.

Sen. Barack Obama (news (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/news/ap/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_and_cars/22478481/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&p=%22Barack%20Obama%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news&cs=nw), bio (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/bio/ap/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_and_cars/22478481/SIG=118ul297o/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/?id=3181), voting record (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/vote/ap/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_and_cars/22478481/SIG=11hbic58m/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/keyvotes/?id=3181)), D-Ill., says he usually drives a flex-fuel vehicle, which can run on gasoline or a cleaner-burning blend of ethanol and gasoline. But he acknowledges that sometimes it is not practical to fill up with the ethanol blend, known as E85.

"My campaign leases a flex-fuel vehicle," he said in January, "but I'll be honest with you, a lot of times you're ... 30 miles from the closest E85 pump. It's going to cost you more to drive there and fill up than just filling up with regular gasoline."
Right, Barack. More at Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070331/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_and_cars;_ylt=AvGspBqhuUVVqB7RaZT1IhWs0 NUE).

[DoctorDoom]

Carbon neutral, my arse. As long as he's breathing, he won't be "carbon neutral".

[Oldeshooter]

General Motors is now making their cars/trucks to use the new 85 fuel which is 85% ethanol made by using corn. The fact they hide is the mileage is 40% less because ethanol has fewer btu's than gasoline and they get a huge tax right off for doing so. Farmers are selling corn for fuel because they can get more than if they sell it for food. One good thing is the price of taco shells has tripled so the wetbacks may starve.

[Beowulf]

Around here, Burlington Airport has gone to all bio-diesel. I don't have a problem with that but it seems as if it was forced upon us. I guess I should expect it when so many here take Al Bore's word as law!

[DeclinetoState]

If the eco-wacko libs had their way, we (the rest of us, that is) would be traveling around on horseback--at best.