A rare, kind word of praise for the Republicans

I have spoken out and written about the Second Biggest Folly in American Energy History, and how it appeared from the start to be nothing more than a smoky mirror congressional P.R. stunt to say "You hate high gas prices? We'll we're doing something about it, re-elect us please."

I am of course talking about the massive, massive ethanol subsidies this nation has created in the last 10 years. I continue to state as I always have that corn is a crappy ethanol source compared to sugar cane and the entire U.S. ethanol industry would completely collapse without the government subsidies.

I have noted before that ethanol makes up an inconsequential amount of our fuel resources and that total conversion of America's farmland to ethanol production would only cover the fuel needed by this nation for 25 days.

I have also mentioned that ethanol destroys engines when used in greater than 10% concentration. E85 vehicles are able to handle it, but all small-engined vehicles, lawn-mowers, atv's, motorcycles, etc. find ethanol toxic to their internal components.

Thank you, finally, GOP, for agreeing with me. As noted on page 30 of the GOP 2008 Platform:

The U.S. Government should end mandates for ethanol and let the free market work.

YES!

Unsurprisingly, the Republican Senatorial incumbents and candidates from the northern plains states are highly against this reversal of policy. Could that be because their states have reaped a fortune over the last 7 years from corn prices skyrocketing? Or is it because they genuinely think that ethanol is a way to break our energy dependence on foreign oil? I'll let the reader decide.

Here's what the DNC platform had to say about ethanol:

We'll invest in advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol which will provide American-grown fuel and help free us from the tyranny of oil.

Even the democrats now basically agree with me. They are acknowledging that starch-based ethanol (corn, sugarcane, etc) will not work, but cellulosic ethanol made from switchgrass is much more efficient a producer of ethanol (once mass-production is utilized).

Why do I love this plan? Well, imagine the entire Great Plains blanketed by the original tallgrass prairie that originally was there. Imagine thousands and thousands of acres of cropland converted to highly-profitable grasslands. I can't even express how great a plan this is...oh heck the easiest way is with a whole seperate post.

Here's the Biggest Folly in American Energy History since I left that unanswered above.