Jeepers, Teapers! (Republicans and their anti-conservation efforts)

[XemaSab]

President Obama proposes to double fuel economy standards by 2025. If he succeeds, American autos will average almost 60 miles to the gallon. The president’s proposal is the largest increase in mileage requirements since the government began regulating consumption of gasoline by cars in the 1970s. The auto industry backs him.

See how easy that is? Park the partisanship, and propose what is best for the country. I cannot conceive of a single argument against higher fuel efficiency in American cars. But let’s see what happens in Congress. I have no doubt that House Republicans will still bare the knives and eviscerate the new standard. For Tea Party Republicans, the Teapers, no good deed goes unpunished.

(snip)

Joe Barton and his fellow Republicans do not like environmentalists. Senator Orrin Hatch recently commented that “our nation must not allow and cannot afford to let extremists hijack our laws and hold the American people hostage to their radical views.” Radical? Extreme?

Why are these environmental and conservation issues so partisan? Shouldn’t the earth’s well-being trump partisan politics? Let’s consider a few factors that contribute to the conflict.

http://blog.aba.org/2011/08/jeepers-teapers.html