Eye On 2012? Palin Pushes Ethanol While In Iowa

A couple curious moments occurred on the campaign trail today, both involving Sarah Palin.

The Alaska Gov. was dispatched to Iowa, a state that almost every political observer agrees is beyond the McCain campaign's reach. Why McCain is spending time and resources there is a mystery perhaps only explained by more favorably looking internal poll numbers.

During her speech, however, Palin offered what a Democratic observer pinpointed as a telling public nod to what is -- at least in the McCain campaign -- a lightening-rod of a policy.

"John and I will adopt the all-of-the-above approach to meet America's great energy challenges," she told the crowd in Des Moines. "Yes... That means harnessing alternative energy sources, like the wind and the solar and the biomass and the geothermal -- and the ethanol!"

Iowa, of course, is ground zero for corn-based ethanol production. And support for that energy source is a must for any presidential aspirant. Just ask John McCain, whose criticism of corn-based ethanol cost him dearly in the state's presidential primaries in 2000 and 2008. While the Senator has tempered some of his skepticism, as recently as the last presidential debate he was calling for the end of subsidies for ethanol (citing the distortion they have on the market) and the elimination of a tariff on "sugar cane-based ethanol from Brazil" - an alternative that is not exactly popular on the streets of Des Moines. In fact, on his own website, McCain's policy is listed as such:

"We need to level the playing field and eliminate mandates, subsidies, tariffs and price supports that focus exclusively on corn-based ethanol and prevent the development of market-based solutions which would provide us with better options for our fuel needs."

So what's Palin doing in Iowa, championing ethanol? Either she wasn't being specific in the type of ethanol or energy policy she supports. Or, perhaps, she is laying the groundwork for a political push in the state... either in 2008 or, perhaps, 2012.

Comments

[JimBullis]

The phrasing is interesting.

"John and I will adopt the all-of-the-above approach to meet America's great energy challenges," she told the crowd in Des Moines. "Yes... That means harnessing alternative energy sources, like the wind and the solar and the biomass and the geothermal -- and the ethanol!"

Note "all-of-the-abobe" sounds like the newspapers she reads, "all-of-them."

When someone says, "the ethanol," it suggests there is a specific, singular thing. One more clue that we are hearing a wind up doll trying to deliver the programmed message.

[Truth4Voters]

We must all donate to Palin's opponent not matter what race she is in. Even if it's a D*O*G race.

[jcwtts1]

If she wants to run in 2012 good luck, my prediction is that O starts that campaign with 500 million in the bank. Good luck. She would do soo much better to wait until 2016, when the election will be open, when she will have 6 more years of Gov and 2 years of senate (if she beats our guy in Alaska who is about to win this time) experience to call on. She will be that much better on camera and she will be able to modify her positions.... and you know learn what a platform is (great article here today that she started talking about planks around the platform).

J

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Okay, once more with feeling.....

ETHANOL=STARVING THE POOR

[jcwtts1]

What are you talking about? Because massive amounts of corn are used to make ethanol the poor are starving? Give me some statistics and some links before you make blanket statements. Your argument makes sense on the surface I guess but for those of us joining the program already in progress.... ????

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Okay you can start here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/03/biofuels.renewableenergy

However here is the money quote from the story:

"Rising food prices have pushed 100m people worldwide below the poverty line, estimates the World Bank, and have sparked riots from Bangladesh to Egypt. Government ministers here have described higher food and fuel prices as "the first real economic crisis of globalisation"

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89545855

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,563927,00.html

You can read the actual text of the report here:

http://74.125.95.104/search?q=cache:nKr7hdX8gqkJ:siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2008/Resources/2795087-1191440805557/4249101-1191956789635/Brief_BiofuelPrmsRisk_web.pdf+ethanol+world+bank+report&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=20&gl=us&client=firefox-a

You can download a .pdf of the report here:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start=20&q=http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2008/Resources/2795087-1191440805557/4249101-1191956789635/Brief_BiofuelPrmsRisk_web.pdf&usg=AFQjCNHEteXhQtV6FkMYgvNbvuawKYY4Pg

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Looks like Huffpost STILL won't let you post long url's , oh well, google " ethanol world bank report " and scroll down to WBR Briefs. You can read the actual report that way.

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Ah finally a reasonable url for the world bank report text:
http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/textonly.asp?id=506

[Truth4Voters]

Immanuel is correct. Corn ethanol is extremely costly in terms of water processing (both in growing and processing). Internationally, water is becoming more and more scarce. The loss of water availability will adversely affect the worlds most economically oppressed first. Ethanol is not a good idea.

[Decipherer]

Grotesquely simplistic and dead wrong, with all due respect sir. That is, unless you either work or are an apologist for Big Oil whose propaganda you are repeating.

[Sammydog]

They want to know what she's doing championing ethanol? My guess is she's lying. She also said that electing Obama would turn our country communist. I suppose she figured that the Socialist scare tactic wouldn't work, so she had to bring out the big gun.... Communism. It won't work. Go back to Alaska and fire somebody.

[BluePrideSMW]

I trust they know corn when they see it... good ears/bad ears.

This is a special Moms Mabley version of Abraham, Martin & John...(and then, Bobby...)

http://current.com/items/89450598_obama_08_abraham_martin_john

[jymfrancais]

I just can't wait for her to go back to Alaska and hopefully we'll never never hear from her again
this woman is a disease.

[Decipherer]

And a particularly loathesome one at that.

[dentuso]

Um.... didn't McMatlock fight tooth and nail against Ethanol?

[Decipherer]

Yup yup. Did then, still does. See earlier commentary on that topic below. You betcha.

[Formeralaskangal]

Yeah, they're as pro ethanol as they are pro environment. Remember when Princess Sarah said Obama talks one way to people in Scranton and another way to people in San Francisco? Can we say hypocrit?! Here they go talking to the corn growers about being pro ethanol when they've been against ethanol subsidies throughout the campaign. I think McCain is interested in bringing in some of that Brazilian stuff, so he can spend more time in Rio chasing the Latin hotties. Yikes!

[Routemaster]

"Palin Pushes Ethanol While in Iowa"

Fer Gawds sake!
Haven't you guys got enough drug problems without a prospective Veep going around advocating snorting corn gas?

[Decipherer]

Yeah, like shutting down the meth labs in Wasilla, Alaska's hillbilly heroin capital.

[GrkAm]

Palin APPROVING of alternative fuel? First, hasn't that been Obama's premise from the beginning--like 2 yrs. ago? Also, what has happened to the Palin jingle, "drill, baby, drill"?

[DeeDeeDaGumby]

maybe someone whispered in her ear what oil prices look like these days....

[Decipherer]

Barack is and has been a staunch advocate for the broad expansion in domestic production and use of renewable transportation and other fuels, and has proposed $150 billion in new U.S. investment in these industries over the next 10 years.

McCain? No so much. In fact, he has consistently opposed policies that would expand these industries, even solar in Arizona (!!!!) during the entirety of his Senate career.

Clear choice, folks.

[2876]

Well....you probably can't drill, baby, drill in Iowa

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

Are you sure she's 'pushing' ethanol, and not drinking it?

[thecanadian]

OBAMA TAX FACTS. Check the FACTS yourself and then decide!

Obama Tax Interactive Tax Calculator.

http://www.taxcutfacts.org Share the link!

[indothinker]

thanks for the link! i would save over $1100 under obama's tax plan. boy, it's great to be a socialist LOL. i hope everyone else checks it out.

[gcallaghan]

I'll pay $1k less than now, about -$38.50 per paycheck. I'd be willing to forego that savings provided the taxes on all of us, especially on the rich, are restored to the Clinton era levels, Dept of Defense costs are reined in and universal healthcare becomes a reality.
It's only the patriotic thing to do.

[GrkAm]

indo . . . Same here! We would save -0- under McCain. This is a valuable tool. Thanks for the link "thecanadian".

[gcallaghan]

Before she sets her eye on 2012, Palin ought to think about the music she'll be facing this year at home on Nov 5. An awful lot of what she kept hidden from the Alaskan voters is now out in the open.
Her Judgement Day comes way before the Rapture.

[slobone]

Running in 2012? That may be her most delusional notion yet...

[4wehttam]

Does she honestly think she can run against Barack in four years.......by herself. With her lack of curiosity for anything, except power??