Gore Begot the Internet, Obama Begot the Hybrid?

This week Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood claimed that through the efforts of the Obama Administration the hybrid car industry had been jump-started. LaHood then startlingly asked the question of who would have thought you would have seen a Lexus Hybrid two years ago?

WELL…….ME!!!!

That’s because the Lexus Hybrid came out in 2005, which for those of you interested in statistics would mean that Lexus gave us their hybrid seven years ago. So, since seven years is more than two years I guess Secretary LaHood must not have gotten the memo. But who knows, Maybe President Obama was working hard as an Illinois state congressman to get the hybrid made.

And we thought Al Gore was a tremendous asset with his invention, The Internet?

Well Secretary LaHood needs to look a little closer at facts before he opens the old mouth. It was actually during the Clinton Administration that hybrids were first made a real priority by requiring that car companies develop useable hybrid models to help conserve energy and improve the environment. Yeah, I know you all never expected me to give credit to the Clinton administration for being involved in this, but there they are. Of course years later the time requirements were lengthened and/or lowered as the development of the hybrids met certain development issues that needed to be addressed and overcome.

As time went by though car companies like GM put these developments on the back burner and actually worked to slow the development of electric vehicles with their recall of and consequent destruction of their EV-1 electric car (which was very popular with consumers) and then the purchase of the most up-to-date battery manufacturer to stop the production of the batteries that would revolutionize hybrid and electric vehicles.

But while GM and Chrysler proceeded very slowly if at all, foreign auto manufacturers and Ford (through their partnership with Mazda) set out to produce these hybrids with the knowledge that an increase in world oil use would mean these vehicles would eventually be in more demand in the coming years. As a result of these companies and their diligent work, cars like the Toyota Prius and Ford Escort hybrid began to be common place on American roads in the last three or four years and have been in high demand during gas price hikes making them more of the norm on the road today.

So while a RINO like Ray LaHood might be impressed with, and in many ways helping to create the propaganda that the Obama Administration lives on, I guess they feel the need to make up some good news and achievements for their sad performance rather than try and run for reelection on the President’s tremendous record of achievements.

What’s that…Record…..Oh Yeah, I forgot. Never mind

Guess I’ll still be waiting for the hybrid F-150!

Where are my keys?

Bill