Obama: 'Insulation Is Sexy Stuff' (VIDEO)

President Obama laid out an appeal to Congress to pass temporary incentives for homeowners who make their homes more energy efficient at a Northern Virginia Home Depot store today. Obama tried to make the appeal a little more enticing by insisting that home insulation "is sexy stuff":

"I know the idea may not be very glamorous, although I get really excited about it. We were at the roundtable and somebody said, "Insulation's not sexy," and I disagree. Frank [Frank Blake, CEO of Home Depot], don't you think? Insulation is sexy stuff. Here's what's sexy about it: saving money. Think about it this way. If you haven't upgraded your home yet, it's not just heat or cool air that's escaping, it's energy and money that you are wasting. If you saw $20 bills just sort of floating through the window, up into the atmosphere, you'd try and figure out how you were going to keep that. But that's exactly what's happening because of that lack of efficiency in our buildings."

WATCH Obama's full appeal here:

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Comments

[ThomastonPaine]

11:03 AM on 12/17/2009

Obama: Insulation is Sexy!

"Owens Corning" is really gonna give "Victoria's Secret" a run for thier money. When you peel back the vapor barrier will there now be centerfolds decked out in window stripping g-strings? Will expandable spray foam now be sold in Adult novelty stores? Caulk guns, God help us. What will they be used for?

There is also no truth in the rumor that thousands of American women misunderstood the President and are planning on packing on the pounds this Holiday season.

Please read my new seriously satirical blog at ThomastonPaine.com

[bbrecht]

09:35 AM on 12/16/2009

Insulation is so 1980s!

[randy44]

09:05 PM on 12/15/2009

Find a thesaurus if you don't understand that words have different meanings.

[DavidNK]

06:52 PM on 12/15/2009

What the President forgot to mention is that Owens Corning just fired 80 West Virginians in favor of using TATA of India to process payables and expense reports. How sexy is it to add to the unemployment crisis? Also, the bulk of OC's insulation used in existing homes is made in 2 Canadian plants. So, let's all re-insulate our houses so we can spur job creation in Canada and India. If someone in the press looked at the OC donations to the Center for American Progress, they would see why OC's CEO gets a seat at the roundtable.

[jsarets]

10:46 PM on 12/15/2009

Or we could choose cellulose insulation instead.

Made from recycled paper and/or textile products, cellulose insulation has a nominal thermal resistivity comparable to fiberglass, but in practice performs better due to its superior ability to seal the building envelope against air infiltration.

Cellulose insulation also has a much lower embodied carbon footprint, as the production of fiberglass insulation involves heating sand and/or recycled glass to very high temperatures, typically in coal-fired kilns.

The commercial success of cellulose insulation was severely hampered by federal government regulations passed in the late 70s at the behest of the fiberglass industry and has only recently recovered as a result of the green building movement.

[l.blissett]

06:09 PM on 12/15/2009

insulation is sexy....when it's made from recycled denim:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2021527_insulate-denim.html

somewhere in an alternate universe, "Today President Obama announced the LINCOLNS FOR LEVIS program where Americans can receive a $5 federal tax credit for every pair of jeans they drop off to a U.S. Post Office location. Jeans will be shipped to the nearest one of over 100 factories set up by the Owens Corning Corporation (in association with the U.S. Department of Commerce) to recycle the denim into eco-insulation which can be purchased by consumers at a limited-time 15% discount with 1% financing provided by the US Federal Reserve provided for 5 years until the energy cost savings can fully finance the insulation investment. The CBO estimates that the program will result in a creation of at least 50,000 jobs at a net-zero cost to the US economy over the 5 year term."

meanwhile back in Chimerica, "In China, Owens Corning operates four fiber glass insulation plants in
Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Anshan, Liaoning Province;"

http://owenscorning.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=47

[Banana Bubbles]

05:28 PM on 12/15/2009

What an !d!ot!!!

[audadvnc]

04:56 PM on 12/15/2009

Of COURSE Obama thinks insulation is sexy - he's insulated himself from his progressive base with all that industry insider cash. Campaign promises? Ethical behavior? Ah, who needs it, now that he's got his Wall Street / Big Pharma security blanket.

What a colossal bait-and-switch he pulled on us. I want my vote back!

[liberalNmoderation]

04:26 PM on 12/15/2009

Insulation sexy?
riiiiiiiiight!
I like ya Mr President, but if you think insulation is sexy, obviously you've not installed or removed it whilst sweating your guts out on a hot humid day...
sexy is the LAST thing you'll be calling it, lol!

[jayes]

05:21 PM on 12/15/2009

it can be uncomfortable up there.

maybe it can be sexy for the person who orders it.

[beerent]

04:24 PM on 12/15/2009

Oh baby! You look hot in pink fiberglass.

[jsarets]

10:28 PM on 12/15/2009

Fiberglass insulation isn't sexy.

Cellulose insulation (made from recycled newspaper or textiles) is much sexier.

[Sergeant]

04:19 PM on 12/15/2009

What if:

1. We stop bailing out failing industries.
2. Pull our troops out of overseas entanglements, build them back up and provide for the national defense.
3. Then take the money we save from 1 and 2 and provide government health care for anyone who wants it and a job with the government for anyone who wants it.

[bbrecht]

09:36 AM on 12/16/2009

We could also afford insulation then too!

[CaptainFailmore]

04:08 PM on 12/15/2009

I'd do it. Been planning on getting the house weatherized anyway, and if there's any way that I can make it cheaper, that only means I'll recoup the investment faster.

Getting the windows replaced helped a ton, and cost less than I thought it would. The winter heating bills are already way down from last year.

[Hare]

04:28 PM on 12/15/2009

Do it, but might get sexier on a Victoria's Secrets robe

[luvVB]

04:06 PM on 12/15/2009

WIN

This program is all sorts of a great idea.

PEOPLE STOP WASTING ENERGY!!

[TJCole]

04:03 PM on 12/15/2009

Wanna know what's Really Sexy, Mr. President...

Nationalizing our Corrupt Major Banks and Totally Reforming Them...So They Serve Our Nation and Economy....now That Is Sexy...!

So is Telling the Truth....!

Try it some time....

[Sergeant]

04:14 PM on 12/15/2009

Yeah, the government has done such a great job so far.

[shamroc02]

04:16 PM on 12/15/2009

What would also be sexy is for everyone to stop watching this President every second of the day, get up and start helping him rebuild the country...that would also be sexy, but I guess thats too much to ask.

[Tim303]

04:02 PM on 12/15/2009

Well said Mr. Prez.

[chrisfrmchi2]

03:51 PM on 12/15/2009

Why not fund training courses for unskilled workers to educate them so they are skilled construction workers.

nah lets shill home depot and caulk

[HekmabaJuzimakz]

04:03 PM on 12/15/2009

They used to fund training jobs for the unemployed. Now not so much, since the government is moving away from helping people and toward helping themselves.