Energy Schmenergy

Not a bad idea, but they could have gone further. Changing the Daylight Savings Time day back a month may halp to save 300,000 barrels of oil but why not do it for more months? How about adding another month towards the end of Daylight Savings Time. Why not tweak our winter hours by like half an hour? Too complicated I guess.

But the real gem of this aritcle is the following:

The committee voted down, 39 to 12, a separate amendment to require the federal government to find a way to cut U.S. oil demand by 1 million barrels a day by 2013. The amendment offered by Democrat Henry Waxman of California aimed to reduce imports of crude oil.

Lawmakers with automakers in their districts led the fight to defeat Waxman's proposal, arguing it was backdoor way to require U.S. mini-vans, sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks to improve their fuel efficiency.

The amendment did not mandate any specific action to reduce oil consumption, but supporters said raising vehicle fuel efficiency standards was an option.

Some lawmakers argued it made sense to tighten the mileage requirements of new vehicles because gasoline demand accounts for about 40 percent of U.S. oil use.

Granted, this means at least 13 Democrats voted with Republicans on this one. Which falls right in line with what they are diong on just about every other issue. Repubs all in a row, Dems, uh wait, uh, Yeay, uh Nay, uh... EVEN WHEN THE AMMENDMENT IS PROPOSED BY A FELLOW DEMOCRAT?!?!

This is disgusting enough. However, almost everyone is agreeing that becoming independent from foreign oil is a doubleplus good for our National Security. That is the case Republicans are making for drilling ANWR right?

However, National Security seems to take a back-seat when it comes to protecting automakers from installing technology that already exists on their gas guzzling cars, even though this was not specified in the ammendment.

Two things. Dems STICK TOGETHER DAMMIT. Republicans how about pushing back a bit, everyone will still buy cars even if they guzzle a little less gas.