This is the kind of stupid garbage that passes for intelligent politics on the right side of the aisle.

Filling up your tires will save a couple miles per gallon, and if your tires are really weak will save even more.

For people who fill a 15 gallon tank twice a week, that's about two gallons a week or eight bucks.

Over a year, that's more than $400 for just keeping your tires filled.

But let's mock it, sure, because it is a sensible and reasonable step for folks to take.

Is McCain an idiot or stupid.. or both? I know many republicans do not believe in science but it is a fact that inflated tires give improved mileage. Why are republicans always so stupid?

McCain needs to use the pressure gauge and check the air pressure in his head. The angry old man is misfiring a lot lately.

obama assumes that everyone is driving around with flat tires. if you're a moron and don't do common vehicle maintenance then it's a good idea. liberals may need to be told to put air in their tires but smart people already knew that.

I love using humor to make the point like this. Yes, you can improve you gas milage (somewhat) by properly inflating your tires, but that only goes so far. It does not sustitute for a comprehensive Energy Policy for America.

I love using humor to make the point like this. Yes, you can improve you gas milage (somewhat) by properly inflating your tires, but that only goes so far. It does not sustitute for a comprehensive Energy Policy for America.

What's John McCain's plan?

Oh right, more of the same. Tax breaks for Exxon.

That and mocking everything Barack proposes with no substance and no plan of his own.

Btw, GM posted a $15.5 billion LOSS in the last quarter alone.

We need greener cars. And to build them, we need the 5 million green jobs. Jobs in sustainable technology development is CLEARLY what we need in this country.

NOT MORE tax breaks for oil companies who make record profits every quarter and then invest in overseas projects! Gimme a break. That's the EXACT wrong approach to our energy problem (the Bushian Way).

Btw, for those who use this ridiculous and insanely petty stunt by McCain to mock Barack Obama, just know that Barack is releasing a major Energy Plan this week and talking about it all week.

So, feel free to continue to mock Senator Obama. You will just make yourself look like a complete fool when the comprehensive plan hits. Thanks.

Well, I will look forward to Barak's Energy Plan. I need a good laugh this week.

Hey acolytes of the Dalai 'Bama: The One bestowed upon us the proclamation that inflating your tires and getting a tune-up will have the same effect as all the offshore drilling currently being proposed (and the One did grin, and the people did feast upon the lambs and the goats and the orangutans and the breakfast cereals and the fruit bats and the arugula...). A little bit of Googling and a splash of middle-school algebra would've shown he was a couple of orders of magnitude off. This is a clever vehicle to highlight such idiocy.

Hey acolytes of the Dalai 'Bama: The One bestowed upon us the proclamation that inflating your tires and getting a tune-up will have the same effect as all the offshore drilling currently being proposed (and the One did grin, and the people did feast upon the lambs and the goats and the orangutans and the breakfast cereals and the fruit bats and the arugula...). A little bit of Googling and a splash of middle-school algebra would've shown he was a couple of orders of magnitude off. This is a clever vehicle to highlight such idiocy.

Hey acolytes of the Dalai 'Bama: The One bestowed upon us the proclamation that inflating your tires and getting a tune-up will have the same effect as all the offshore drilling currently being proposed (and the One did grin, and the people did feast upon the lambs and the goats and the orangutans and the breakfast cereals and the fruit bats and the arugula...). A little bit of Googling and a splash of middle-school algebra would've shown he was a couple of orders of magnitude off. This is a clever vehicle to highlight such idiocy.

Hey acolytes of the Dalai 'Bama: The One bestowed upon us the proclamation that inflating your tires and getting a tune-up will have the same effect as all the offshore drilling currently being proposed (and the One did grin, and the people did feast upon the lambs and the goats and the orangutans and the breakfast cereals and the fruit bats and the arugula...). A little bit of Googling and a splash of middle-school algebra would've shown he was a couple of orders of magnitude off. This is a clever vehicle to highlight such idiocy.

Good for you Lily. Mock away!

It's not like it's the biggest issue in America, right?

It's not like it's the issue your candidate has his whole campaign riding on, right?

It's not like your candidate has been receiving campaign contributions from Big Oil, right?

Oh. Right. Bush/Cheney/McSame.

how much do you want to bet that somewhere in his energy plan is drilling at home. something conservatives have been screaming all along. i bet he'll flip flop on the liberal idea that drilling at home will produce no oil for 10 years. taxing big oil is just going to cause them to raise their prices for us. it's not going to create more oil. supply and demand. the only fools are obama, pelosi and people who follow them. no conservative is against a "green" car. i drive a motorcycle.

Hey CJ. Let's compare.

Bush/Cheney/McSame's plan: Tax breaks for big oil. Drill everywhere. Mock everything.

Obama's plan: 5 million green jobs. $1000 dollar windfall tax on big oil given to each taxpayer. Fuel conservation to reduce oil demand.

Whose side are you on? The oil industry's side, or America's side?

Actually, the problem is that Obama did not just say, fill up your tires. Obama went on to say that if everyone in the USA inflated tires and tuned up cars, that it would offset all possible contributions of drilling on the outer continental shelf.

So, now, in order to ensure that we get this MASSIVE savings:
I propose that Barack needs to create a new law that fines people with underinflated tires. Hire 50,000 new police to do all the checking. Build 10,000 check points along America's highways and in America's cities and slow down the American driver and therefore the American economy.
Or, we could allow Americans to do what Americans should be doing. Building oil wells on American land. Producing American oil and American Jobs. Allowing Americans to figure out that; jack rabbit starts, hard braking, low tire inflation and poorly maintained engines waste fuel. All of which are well known facts and have been around since at least the late 1970's.
The fact is that Barack Obama is retarded when it comes to making sense of issues that affect everyday Americans. I like jack rabbit starts, I brake hard and my tires are always underinflated but my engine is always well tuned. It is my choice and I would like it to always and forever be my choice, my children's choice and so forth unto infinity.
When, and only when alternative vehicles become equally cost effective, safe and powerful as gasoline engine vehicles, Americans in droves will make the transition. It should not be the job of the Government to mandate the vehicles we drive and how many miles per gallon of gasoline we get.

Ethan, really!? Obama is going to help the engery crisis by taxing the Oil Companies? Wow, that's truly inspired. And 5 Million Green Jobs? How much in taxpayer dollars is it going to cost to "create" those new jobs? Estimates are that it will cost far more than the benefit we will get out of it. And Drilling? We DO NEED to drill. We need to make use of all engergy souces for interim energy until new technologies are ready to supply high levels of energy for our contry and our economy.

I agree with Ed Morrisey:

"Obama wants America to live in a shortage economy, where we become ever more dependent on government to ration energy and in which our standard of living decreases year after year. Obama talks about Hope, but he’s really selling Despair..."

After reading a few of his posts, I prescribe a few classes in Economics for Ethan.

5 million green jobs? Great! The One has nothing to do with it. If there's a buck to be made the Market - not the Messiah - will create them.

What is a "windfall?" Aside from the morality of punishing an American company for its success, do you know the economic effect of punitively taxing successful companies? Less of it. I'm not being condescending, but I don't know your age and I'm not sure you remember the oil embargo of the 70s. That was the direct result of Nixon's price controls ... the disowned step-brother of widfall profit taxes.

I'm an employee of what I think to be a visionary "green" company that makes an outstanding return on investment helping institutions control and reduce their energy costs. The reality is, though, that oil-gasoline-natural gas is going to be with us a long, long time, especially in a world where more and more countries are realizing prosperity. It makes no sense to artificially tighten supply and drive up its cost, especially when the market needs no further incentive to "go green."

Finally I apologize to everyone out there. I'm not that self-aggrandizing that I need 4 posts saying the same thing. People smarter than I probably already know that clicking "Post" again and again doesn't make it post any faster, it just makes you look like a narcissistic twit. My apologies again.

Actually we clearly don't need to drill. We need to -- and can, easily -- SOLVE the crisis.

You obviously don't understand economics nor energy, and I don't have the time to school you, so I suggest that you put down the potato chips and do some actual research.

Ethan:

So much for gentility. Judging by your last ad hominem, it appears as though I won the argument, although it's a pyhrric victory if you can't see beyond your own biases. I'm sorry. I was truly hoping for an informed debate.

>>>It makes no sense to artificially tighten supply and drive up its cost

That's a false choice.

Oil may stay expensive, but the use of green, cleaner technolgies will dramatically reduce the amount we need.

Take, for example, a plug-in hybrid car that gets 150 mpg versus a non-plug-in hybrid that gets 20 mg. That's like taking 7 cars off the road for every one plug-in.

Imagine the same type of energy savings on home building, home heating/cooling, etc. Drive down demand, use less oil, spend less on oil.

It is common sense. We could be using FAR less oil. These technologies not only EXIST, they are being used as we speak.

The energy industry also made a statement recently that the Electricity Grid is capable of taking on millions of electric cars.

We would never have to drill again if we implemented these policies across the country.

All this "drill drill drill" is simply a scam and a fallacious argument that is not supported by facts or common sense.

>>>So much for gentility. Judging by your last ad hominem, it appears as though I won the argument

Gentility? This from the guy who kicks off his post with: "Hey acolytes of the Dalai 'Bama: The One bestowed upon us..."

And you expected to have "an informed debate"? Hahaha

Read my 03:14 PM post and respond if you wish.

Your use of "The One" and "Messiah" is not only insulting, but it belittles any modicum of validity of your argument (if there was any to begin with).

what do you drive ethan and what heats and cools your home? where is the green car that's going to pull a tractor trailer or a tractor thru 2 feet of mud to plant the food that you eat. the technology will hopefully someday be there but it has to be proven on the free market and can't be forced on us by the government. capitalism over socialism.

I have no doubt much of the technology exists - even in rudimentary form - to begin transitioning to things like you describe. However it has to be done organically. There's too many examples of all levels of government trying - and failing - to socially engineer "society (lousy overused word but I can't think of another)" through the magic of laws and regs.

Think of the infrastructure changes you'd have to impose. Here's a couple off the top of my head: (1) what about safety requirements for the magic new electric vehicle? Have they been developed yet? They'd have to be at least as robust as current ICE autos, unless you think everything on the highways, etc. are going to convert. If not, (2) do they get their own dedicated highways / byways? What about that infrastructure cost? (3) You say the grid can handle a large influx of electric autos, but is that true uniformly (if at all)? I recall alot of brownouts in CA a few years back. Not all of it was caused by Enron. Will there be fast-tracking the construction of new electrical generation? (4) If so, what type? Nuclear? Coal? Wind? Solar? The last two are a pipe dream unless governments at all levels eminent-domain their way to a vast amount of the midwest and south. Even so, what happens to our electric bills when the cost per kwh doubles or triples? Coal and nuclear, two of the most efficient and abundant sources are pariahs thanks to our friends in the NRDC, Sierra Club, et. al.

Of course we could take baby steps and go with natural gas instead, but then what happens to my heating bill up here 100 miles south of Canada? Are we going to fast-track natural gas exploration to keep up with the demand?

Back in the 90s, the state of CA though it could do just this by passing a law saying that by the end of the decade (I think, I'm dredging this up from memory) there would be X number of electric cars on their highways. It didn't happen.

The only way it will happen without impoverishing this country will be, as I said earlier, organically, with the market seizing on an opportunity and exploiting it. I would love in a hundred years we'd be complaining instead about "big solar" or "bid wind farm." It won't happen, though, through the dictates of government, and in the meantime we have to have the energy.

I've enjoyed debating this, and even rabid free marketers have open minds, but I need to go now.

Best regards

>>>what do you drive ethan

Toyota Prius. 50+ mpg

>>>and what heats and cools your home

The sun and shade. I have no A/C. Occasionally I use a fan. In the winter I sometimes use an electric space heater.

>>>where is the green car that's going to pull a tractor trailer or a tractor thru 2 feet of mud to plant the food that you eat

Actually, I eat a lot of organic local produce from small farms. I don't buy conventionally-grown "big agriculture" produce at all. Same with meats.

But the "green tractor" is a PERFECT example of a technology development that is sorely needed. Imagine the benefit to American farmers if they only needed to purchase 1/10th the amount of diesel fuel. They would save significant money. Price of crops would go down. Price of FOOD would go down. Which means more money is American consumers' pockets.

So thank you for bringing up that point, daniel.

>>>I have no doubt much of the technology exists - even in rudimentary form - to begin transitioning to things like you describe. However it has to be done organically.

Not rudimentary. It is occurring in many industries already. The building industry, for one, is going green at a remarkable pace. Check out the U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org).

The massive upswing in green building is 100% organic and 100% market-driven.

>>>The only way it will happen without impoverishing this country will be, as I said earlier, organically, with the market seizing on an opportunity and exploiting it.

Again. Green building. Hybrid cars. Toyota can't make the Prius fast enough.

You either don't know these common facts about the burgeoning free-market GREEN economy. Or you intentionally minimize this information for your own political purposes.

>>>I would love in a hundred years we'd be complaining instead about "big solar" or "bid wind farm." It won't happen, though, through the dictates of government, and in the meantime we have to have the energy.

"XXX" wrong again.

The oil and energy sector's stranglehold on the GOP has caused this "crisis". And they are paying the political price for it.

Once again. This information is widely available and -- in most circles -- common knowledge.

You seem like a reasonable person with modest intellect. I can only infer that you subjugate clearly significant information for the purposes of defending the indefensible narrative constructed by the John McCain campaign and its subordinates.

I hope that is not the case, but instead you will change your mind and be willing to include into the debate the complete and accurate picture of the current green economic market and sustainable energy/jobs.

Stupid republicans simply need to shut up or listen to other republicans like Arnold Schwartzenneger and Charlie Crist as they said the same thing:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., and Charlie Crist, R-Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times "appealed to those with the real power to make change -- average citizens -- to drive slower, keep engines tuned and tires properly inflated, to buy hybrids and lower overall consumption."

Checkout below how corrupt McCain is. He signs off on offshore drilling and then gets thousands from big oil right away. According to TMP (tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com):

Hess Oil Corporation "Office Manager" And Her Husband Both Gave $28,500 To Elect McCain

As we reported below, ten Hess Corporation executives and Hess family members each gave $28,500 to the RNC's committee to elect John McCain president, just days after he reversed his previous opposition to offshore drilling.

But the story gets better.

It turns out that Hess executives aren't the only ones who gave such huge sums to elect McCain -- generosity towards McCain apparently extends down into lower levels of Hess staff. A lower level employee gave the same, too, and so did her husband, even though he works for Amtrak.

The FEC filings show that Alice Rocchio, who's identified as a Hess office manager, and her husband, Pasquale Rocchio, who's described as an Amtrak "track foreman," each separately donated $28,500 to the RNC-McCain fund, which is called McCain Victory 2008. They gave the money on June 24th, the same day that the ten Hess execs and family members each shelled out the same amount.

So the Rocchios, who live in Flushing, Queens, donated a total of $57,000 to McCain's efforts.

I just reached Ms Rocchio and she insisted adamantly that the contributions were theirs.

"It was my option to give," she told me. "This is my favorite candidate...I fully acknowledge that [the donation] was done by myself personally, my own doing." She added that the same went for her husband.

When I pointed out that the Rocchios' job titles seemed to jar a bit with the size of their donations, Ms. Rocchio said that no one could guess the real income levels of other people.

"No one knows what someone's income taxes say," she told me.

Ms. Rocchio declined to say whether the contributions had been bundled by another Hess employee or who bundled them.

Late Update: It should also be noted that FEC reports have no record of any Federal political contributions for the Rocchios before 2008. They both gave the maximum of $2,300 to McCain's campaign this year.

--------------

Corrupt bastards!

everyone from the south, we need to move to where ethan is. the weather is always perfect. no need for air or heat.

i'm really all for any kind of vehicle that doesn't run on oil and gas and a green tractor would be great. where can i get mine?

Once again.

You dismiss my argument in favor of..... NOTHING!

Mocking my argument because in its place you have... NOTHING!

Way to perfectly illustrate my point about the importance of Obama's plan versus John McCain's Big Oil scam.

obama's energy plan is changing so often, i wonder how anyone can keep up with it. i'm just gonna sit back and wait for him to agree with drilling at home. i'm ready to see ethan's reaction. oh glorious day.

He already said he was open to a compromise while still being OPPOSED to drilling.

Imho, that is a remarkably non-partisan, pro-progress point of view. I disagree with drilling -- as does Obama -- but I applaud him for, if nothing else, shutting up the Right and their pathetic drill drill drill.

You DO realize, of course, that by taking this issue off the table, it will take away the Right's whole political platform. Good luck winning the Presidency THEN. Hahaha.

That is my reaction. Glorious day indeed. We finally have leadership in this country.

ethan,
i didn't see an argument to dispute. i'd say that the average american can't or at least doesn't want to live in a house with no a/c or heat and doesn't want to drive a prius. you live like the unibomber and i don't want to. i work hard to make my money and i want to enjoy it and that means i want heat and air. this is America, not some 3rd world country and that's my choice. no tree hugging liberal can take that away.

You're absolutely right.

There is no argument. That's why you have nothing to say other than to mock me or mock Obama. These tactics are, sorry to say, juvenile.

Fact is, when faced with the choice of McSame's tax breaks for big oil and "drill everywhere" versus a green economy and a windfall tax on the richest industry in American history, THERE IS NO ARGUMENT.

So keep on making your pro-oil arguments and I'll keep promoting green jobs and sustainable energy and we'll see what America wants.

...But given the historically bad political climate for the GOP and the fact that over 75% of America thinks we're on the "wrong track" I wouldn't bet on your boy McCain pulling this off. But by all means, good luck with your oil agenda. B/c as I've noted before, that's literally ALL YA GOT!

ethan,
you calling me juvenile is like the pot calling the kettle black. i have no oil agenda; i'm just using some common sense and saying let the free market decide what is best, not the government.

releasing oil from the reserves should only be done in case of an emergency and i understand why barack is now flopping and wanting to do this. his campaign is in an emergency. he just fell 10 points in the polls and is now even with McCain.
i've told you before i'm not a big McCain fan, i just really despise Obama and all the morons under his spell.

>>>i just really despise Obama and all the morons under his spell

See? Juvenile rants. Ad hominem attacks. Zero facts.

It's pointless talking with you.

I’ll bet any Dem $1000 that the price of oil will drop to under $75 a barrel and gas will be under $3 a gallon with in two months if Nazi Pelosi would allow a vote. That’s the short term gain of drilling, not trying a wind mill to your car. “ALL OF THE ABOVE” is the only serious solution to our energy problems. Conservation and tire presure is my plan. I need a president who can give me leadership other than facts most car owners already know. That’s the joke. The joke McCain is making is that when
the Rebublicans are suggesting Drilling, Solar, Wind, Coal, Nuclear, Conservation the Dem’s have policies like this. This winter it will be “Get a Sweater”

Tell me:

WHAT DID THE GOP DO FOR DRILLING WHEN THEY HAD CONTROL OF THE HOUSE, THE SENATE, AND THE PRESIDENCY?

NOTHING. THEY INVADED IRAQ TO DRIVE *UP* THE PRICE OF OIL.

NEXT.

If you drive an automobile take it to a flat area and release half the air pressure in all the tires. If you normally keep 36 lbs of pressure in your tires, reduce it to 18 lbs per tire. Next, push the car a couple of hundred yards. Have a friend help if you'd like. Now, re-inflate your tires to 36 lbs (or mfgr highest recommended tire pressure). Repeat the exercise, push your car a couple of hundred yards.

You will find you need less energy pushing your vehicle when your tires are fully inflated with the proper pressure. The engine of your automobile feels the same about the experiment. Simple to conduct. No physicist needed. Go for it.

Whit, the Republicans halved the budget at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory during the Reagan years. (Probably saved you 5 or 6 dollars in taxes.) Set the United States waaaay back in trying to make renewables more cost effective. Without THAT brilliant decision we might already have COMMONPLACE alternatives that would even make YOUR life easier right down to functioning windmills on your car. Or perhaps other things that are more rational and less sarcastic perhaps. Like the development of more efficient batteries like the one in my Hybrid. (Yes the National Renewable Energy Lab was and is actively involved in battery improvement too, including the batteries used in my car.)

They also developed some of the new solar panel materials that are used to power homes and businesses (including heating and cooling) and some even put electricity back in the grid for you.

Now, check out how much of your tax dollars go to fund renewable research. (According to the Federal budget it looks like about a budget of $140,000,000 to the National Center for Photovoltaics.) Now, check out how many of your tax dollars, (through those nonsensical tax credits) went to that $400,000,000 retirement fund for the recently retired ceo of Exxon.

And NOW you say the republicans are interested in renewable energy sources like solar and wind? Uh huh. Sure. I would think common sense fellas like the republican radio and tv talkers would be outraged at such mindless suggestions. They sure were when President Carter espoused the need for alternatives weren't they?

We gave more money in aid to Lebanon last year than we spent on renewable energy investment.

Think anyone on the right cares? Nope!