Bush Supports Hybrids, Flex-Fuel Cars - Spokesman - Reuters

[hatrack]

Yes, that's the actual headline.

WASHINGTON - President Bush will tell Detroit auto executives next week that he supports efforts to build more hybrids and vehicles that run on alternative fuels, the White House said Friday.

Spokesman Tony Snow said Bush will tell the chiefs of Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group Tuesday that he wants to see their businesses grow. But Snow would not say whether the Bush administration was poised to offer any help to the struggling companies. "I don't want to get into discussions or even characterizations of the American auto industry other than to say that we are committed to its success," Snow said.

Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have for a year sought a meeting with Bush on things they think the government could do to help them. Two previously scheduled meetings were postponed. Ford and General Motors, especially, have sustained staggering financial losses due to declining market share at the hands of foreign rivals and overwhelming legacy costs for worker and retiree health care and pensions.

Among other things, the US-based companies would like more government incentives to retool factories and help lower their costs. Detroit has stressed that it does not want a government bailout. And the White House has been cool to any suggestion of substantial government help and has encouraged the auto companies to work out their problems on their own.

ED. - emphasis added.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/38941/story.htm

Well alrighty then.

[Akoto]

1. Well, as long as they're not human-animal hybrids.

:evilgrin:

[patrice]

2. Yeah but, doesn't their whole alternative energy policy add up to Ethanol?

Read that Archer Daniels Midland et al.

And doesn't ethanol product some pretty suspicious polution, even though the carbon emissions are lower than ordinary gas?

[jobycom]

3. Next, Bush takes the lead in the development of crock pot cookware.

He's a little slow on the science thing.

One of his first acts as president was to cut Gore's program for government research assistance into more fuel economical cars.