As usual, many Democrats in Congress show that they are controlled by corporate lobbyists to the detriment of the rest of us.  This time, the auto and agribusiness lobbies are obviously dictating the terms of the energy bill now being negotiated on Capitol Hill.

The auto industry and Representative John Dingell (D-MI), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and in the pocket of the auto industry, "have accepted the target of achieving an average of 35 miles a gallon for each carmaker's fleet of new U.S. vehicles by 2020, set in the version of the bill passed by the Senate in June. However, Dingell and the automakers appeared to have won concessions extending fuel efficiency credits for flexible-fuel vehicles and creating separate mileage standards for cars and light trucks," according to the Washington Post.  How nice for them.

In a recent post (scroll down to read) of 11/21/07 titled, "An Oily Thanksgiving," you will find that "The top five American cars average 27.4 mpg in the city and 33.2 mpg on the highway, while the average of the top five Japanese cars get 46.2 mpg in the city and 49 mpg on the highway."  And these corporate cronies and their Congressional lackeys target 35 miles a gallon by 2020!  What a joke!

As for the concessions regarding credit for flex fuel, these avaricious auto companies want until 2020 to factor in potential savings from vehicles that burn fuel that is 85% ethanol, though only 1 or 2 % use that type of fuel.  Big money here for the auto giants. In addition, current vehicles could be converted for as little as $50 to $100 each.  No big money here.  This gaping flex fuel credit loophole needs to be closed, not extended.

Agribusiness also will get the big bucks because of ethanol, the highly touted biofuel which is actually a great polluter.  "The ethanol production process emits carcinogenic pollutants and greenhouse gases that contribute to global warning.  It also enriches the coffers of Republican corporate agribusinesses like ADM, ranked as the tenth worst corporate air polluter, on the "Toxic 100" list of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts."  It's a dirty secret in the agribusiness and auto industry.

The hypocritical highlight of this bill is that renewable energy such as wind and solar, will receive nothing.  Congressional aides mention that "perhaps" renewable energy might get some production tax credits in a future tax provision bill.  All the expensive giveaways in this bill go to the auto industry and huge agribusiness companies, the big donors to Democrats and Republicans on the Hill.  This bill is corporate welfare at its finest and screws regular Americans. 

Rep. Dingell and his colleagues will have the hubris to crow about a great energy bill which it certainly isn't. These are the kind of pseudo Democrats that real Democrats don't need.