Barack Obama didn't pull his punches today when he made his first campaign trip to Michigan and insisted that American automakers need to get serious about fuel economy. From the Detroit Free Press:
Speaking before a sold-out crowd at the Economic Club of Detroit at Cobo Center, Obama said “the tyranny of oil” threatens to destroy the country’s way of life by undermining security and the economy.
And the U.S. auto industry is a big part of the problem, Obama said, in an apparent effort to go into the proverbial lion’s den and talk tough.
“Automakers still refuse to make the transition to fuel-efficient production because they say it’s too expensive at a time when they’re losing profits and struggling under the weight of massive healthcare costs, but expensive is no longer an excuse for inaction,” he said from prepared remarks. “The auto industry is on a path that is unacceptable and unsustainable – for their business, for their workers and for America.” ...
... “Our goal is not to destroy the industry, but to help bring it into the 21st Century,” he said. “So if the auto industry is prepared to step up to its responsibilities, then we as a country should be prepared to help.”
Read more here. The Senate will consider a new fuel-economy standards bill Tuesday.
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