Today’s Qs for O’s WH – 5/19/2009

Gibbs has made me feel much safer about driving a lighter, smaller car around fast moving tractor and trailer trucks..because, the arguments have been dealt with. Maybe they will make the trucks smaller too.

“And I don’t think they have a lot of credence. I think as you all do your stories today, I expect that you would report that any increase in cost is quickly ameliorated by what one saves in fuel efficiency. ”
So Gibbs doesn’t give credence to the CEI study or National Institute of Science? I love how he tells you journalists what to say in your reports. Don’t pay any attention to supposed safety hazards Gibbs said so. Just tell the American people this is a win-win for them. Sadly most of the MSM will comply.

“Unfortunately, the IIHS data shows cars less than about 3500 pounds are not safe. The Honda Accord is the benchmark car for this line.”
Russ Rader, IIHS Spokesman told Hybridcars.com, “The gap will remain until we figure out how to repeal the laws of physics. They dictate that all other things being equal, people in small, lightweight vehicles are always at a disadvantage in crashes with heavier vehicles.”
The data from IIHS suggest that consumers driving smaller, more fuel-efficient cars may be compromising some level of passenger safety. But the playing field is more level than it may first appear. Many small cars offer safety equipment that was not available until recently. This includes a full compliment of airbags, traction and stability control, and stronger occupant safety cage construction. Automakers, most notably Honda, have made features like rigid body more widely available—showing that occupants of smaller vehicles now have significantly higher survival rates in crash tests with larger vehicles. The most recent data from IIHS goes back to 2006 and earlier—prior to the very latest safety advancements.
Rader suggests that mid-size cars with efficient four-cylinder engines can offer the best of both worlds. Vehicles like the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Nissan Altima Hybrid, as well as the Toyota Prius, provide fuel economy that matches or exceeds compacts, while still being large enough to contend with an SUV in an accident. “The bottom line is that you don’t have to buy a tank to be safe on the road,” said Rader.
The disadvantage for small vehicles is only when considering multiple-vehicle accidents. According to IIHS data, pickups and SUVs are proportionally more likely than cars to be in fatal single-vehicle accidents, especially rollovers.

Helen Thomas, Helen Thomas of all people, takes on Gibbs and says Barack Obama “backs away from everything.”
Priceless.

Ryan C:
“The gap will remain until we figure out how to repeal the laws of physics. They dictate that all other things being equal, people in small, lightweight vehicles are always at a disadvantage in crashes with heavier vehicles.”
Good luck repealing those laws of physics. Sure we can buy Toyota and Honda mid size hybrids, but will we and at what cost? Are we going to get bailout funds to buy them? Most polls show people are not buying the global warming agenda. Obama can put on his sweater and read us a teleprompter speech, but I think he is doing his level best to end his term a la Jimmy Carter.

I hope that everyone, including The Brother Gibbs, checked their tires’ air pressure today. Gibbs needs to bring out an air pressure measuring device and demonstrate how to use it.. and yes Mary.. get a sweater..

Good luck repealing those laws of physics.
**************************************************
Gas efficiency doesn’t repeal the laws of physics. Yes, size is a factor in increased gas mileage, but one of many. I’m far from being an expert on cars, but I would think materials and caution in construction are some primary safety attributes. The SUV’s are plenty large, but have had a history of safety recalls along with other larger vehicles. Equating size to safety isn’t the most reliable metric.

GIBBS: Well, we could find somebody to describe for you what the process is for transfer of a court-ordered detainee out of Guantanamo into a country that will receive
=======================
he forgot to add:
We currently don’t know. If the WH does not know the process, we are all in trouble

“What’s the consultation process that’s going on before these moves are happening? Are you informing Congress at all? ”
I’m not sure why he would be informing Congress at all. That was the whole point of Guantanamo – to be a personal dungeon for the President to incarcerate people on his say alone outside the reach of any pesky Constitution…

“Most polls show people are not buying the global warming agenda.”
1 poll shows that a slight plurality think global warming is overblown.
Ryan,
From Rasmussen:
The new survey also finds that 39% of voters believe global warming is caused by human activity, up from 34% in April. However, 44% say long-term planetary trends are most to blame for global warming. Last month, 48% cited this reason.
Despite the rise in voters who say human activity is to blame, the overall results represent a complete reversal from a year ago, when 47% blamed human activity and only 34% blamed planetary trends.
Overall, the trend is moving away from voters believing human activity is to blame so good luck telling them they have to pay more for an ugly looking hybrid they don’t really want. Moreover, the auto industry was resistant to these changes for a reason, nobody wants these cars. Funny how the trend started to reverse when both candidates were promising cap and trade though at least McCain was willing to wait until alternative fuels were in place. Americans voted for change but they didn’t want it crammed down their throats.
I personally thought Obama would play this all smarter and govern from the middle at least until he got a second term. Now what do we see, for the first time since 2006 Republican party affiliation is equal to Democrat. The Congressional ballot polls show Republicans even or slightly ahead. The pendulum swung pretty fast in Obama’s short tenure in office. Unless people can say in 2012 they are better off, Obama is one term president.

Mary M:”Obama can put on his sweater and read us a teleprompter speech, ”
That’s hilarious considering that just a month ago the right wing 2 minute hate was about his hypocrisy for keeping the oval office t-stat at Hawaii levels.

MayBee:”Did they meet the 35mpg standard? If not, they will have to find something new to make it meet the standards. That will cost money.”
Yes, estimated to be around $1,300 per vehicle. The technology to do this is not at all hard, it just costs a bit more. Some aluminum here, trim 10% off the torque there (do you know a 2008 Ford Focus econobox can out drag race a 289 cubic inch Mustang with the 271hp performance package?), alloy rims to strip out a bit more rotating weight and instant start engine technology and you’re done. The innovation will come in with seeing how far they can trim the costs.
Also 35 mpg isn’t required for another 7 years.

“Ryan,
From Rasmussen:
The new survey also finds that 39% of voters believe global warming is caused by human activity, up from 34% in April. However, 44% say long-term planetary trends are most to blame for global warming. Last month, 48% cited this reason.”
Which is exactly what I said:
“1 poll shows that a slight plurality think global warming is overblown.”
“Now what do we see, for the first time since 2006 Republican party affiliation is equal to Democrat.”
Except it isn’t.
Gallup from yesterday which includes the most recent poll
So far in 2009, aggregated Gallup Poll data show the divide on leaned party identification is 53% Democratic and 39% Republican — a marked change from 2001, when the parties were evenly matched, according to an average of all of that year’s Gallup Polls. That represents a loss of five points for the Republicans and a gain of eight points for the Democrats.
“The Congressional ballot polls show Republicans even or slightly ahead.”
Again a single poll showed that and it was Rasmussen and he now shows Dems +1 in the generic vote.
RCP’s poll compilation for generic Congress vote
RCP Average 41.5 36.8 Democrats +4.7
Rasmussen Reports 40 39 Democrats +1
Democracy Corps (D)46 43 Democrats +3
Quinnipiac 41 34 Democrats +7
Diageo/Hotline 39 31 Democrats +8

Jake,
Can you ask the President to fork over his mother’s passport so he can prove she was in Hawaii on August 4, 1961?
The President’s own Kenyan grandmother swears in an affidavit he was born in Kenya on that date, and she was present.
Why is the President’s mother’s passport a state secret?

J House:”Why is the President’s mother’s passport a state secret?”
The same reason yours is.
The only value of the whole birther nonsense is it provides an excellent way to identify the kooks who are best just ignored.

Go on and drive these pieces of government-made aluminum crap. I’ll continue to drive what I want, while many people will be compelled to drive what they don’t want.
Of course the 40 percenters–the free-loaders–aren’t taking part in the forced purchase of GM, so I imagine they’re going to be hot for it. Why should they care what happens with taxpayers’s money?

“The President’s own Kenyan grandmother swears in an affidavit he was born in Kenya on that date, and she was present.”
Obama’s Kenyan grandmother did not sign any affidavit.
She appeared in a video that cuts off after the translator gets her to say Obama was born in Kenya, the transcript of the entire interview shows that she states that Obama was actually born in Hawaii
“Why is the President’s mother’s passport a state secret?”
Same reason yours is. Its called privacy.
So which lawyer do you side with in the Birther Civil War?
Berg who’s suing Taitz for slander or Taitz?

“TAPPER: But this policy will require no sacrifices. ”
Other than dying and the extra $1300 a car, right.

“Because it shows that Congressional approval has been improving and are at their highest levels in years.”
This shows the value of having useful idiots who support a President, even though he accomplishes nothing.
It shows that Democrats are easily swayed by hope over reality.
It shows that words mean everything and actions mean nothing to the left.
And it also validates the policies of class warfare and redistribution. Keep the suckers dependent and the’ll support you forever.

“Why bother? According to the Fordham Study, Gallup ranked 17th while Rasmussen was shown to be the nation’s most accurate”
A Fordham study in which the author had to round up McCain’s total of 45.6 to 46% and round down Obama’s total from 52.9% to 52% in order to call Rasmussen the most accurate. In other words, he cooked the numbers and Rasmussen has no problem citing this study on his website so you now realize that Rasmussen has no problem with cooked numbers.
The right wing where if you’re not lying, you’re not trying.
Gallup overestimated Obama’s support by 2% and underestimated McCain by 2%.

Californians are FED-UP with the Dem State Assembly and Govnuh Arnie tax increases and spending…So most of us voted NO on props a.b.c.d.e. If the state goes belly-up so be it…maybe this will force voters to SERIOUSLY reconsider their State Assembly Representative next election..There comes a time when touchy issues such as illegals (costing 5B a year to California tax payer)tougher standards on section 8 housing, Medi-Cal…… must be addressed and not be avoided….

Ryan C:
“Scrap prop 13 protections for commercial property and anything but a primary residence and many budget difficulties disappear. ”
Your whole tax philosophy can be boiled down to two words. Tax them! What a freeloader.

ryan c.. Again if you scrap prop 13 you run the risk of increasing rents (landlords are not going to pay the cost of higher taxes) on those who are already finding it difficult; therefore, they will turn to section 8 housing vouchers paid for by the tax payers of California…Commercial property? Increase the cost of doing business and you risk lay-offs or higher costs passed on to the consumer; as well as, California already has a problem of keeping businesses in the State..just increase their taxes further and those that have not gone already will surely go taking tax revenue with them..

“Your whole tax philosophy can be boiled down to two words. Tax them! What a freeloader.”
That really hurts coming from Fred Thompson.

drjohn:”Other than dying and the extra $1300 a car, right.”
The FACTS are that safety does not correlate to car size. Car size is only a factor if the accident is with another vehicle, in which case the higher weight vehicles have higher suvivability. For one vehicle crashes (such as loss of control rollovers), higher weight vehicles have been shown to be less safe.
The ‘heavy vehicle is safer’ line is NOT supported by actual data (which the insurance company actuaries are quite competent about compiling).

One primary residence? What about those that rent from people that own multiple housing units. Again landlords will simply pass on the cost to the renter in the form of higher rents that in turn would result in increase demand for section 8 housing vouchers at the expense of taxpayers…And that “huge boom” you refer to is long gone and will not likely return for real estate speculators anything made was quickly lost Point of note, county assessor offices are now re-appraising property values to “pre-boom” levels….
Tax Californians any more and you will shut the state down as will be demonstrated in July as the voters voted NO to more taxes..CUT SPENDING/PROGRAMS
I am betting that there will be a mass exit from California from those who depend on social services…

“In the end, CA has to cut programs and raise taxes.”
Raise taxes to make sure Ryan doesn’t have to work. And continue its profligate ways. A state as rich in resources as California going bankrupt?
Just how stupid can a state be?
Ryan, what you need are more entitlement programs. That’ll really help.

“One primary residence?”
Yes, your primary residence.
Who is more important to protect from tax hikes, the individual homeowner or the commercial property corporation?
“What about those that rent from people that own multiple housing units.”
Their property taxes are assessed as the local government sees fit.
“Again landlords will simply pass on the cost to the renter in the form of higher rents that in turn would result in increase demand for section 8 housing vouchers at the expense of taxpayers”
So in response to higher tax bills, property owners will turn to sec 8?
“…And that “huge boom” you refer to is long gone and will not likely return”
I agree with this the vultures have already fleeced us and fled the coup.
Now we know never to trust right wing tax policy again.

“If we all drove smaller cars it would not be an issue.”
The reason we don’t is that we choose not to. Perhaps my favorite economically illiterate them running through this thread is the one about how happy the consumers are going to be with eggshells that get 40 mpg. Here’s a hint: Those who like them can go out and buy them today if they want. But very few people want to.

“I say that CA has to cut programs and raise taxes to get out of the mess we are in…”
That sure oughta do it. Of course, CA right now has the highest state income tax and the highest state sales tax in the US, which have been the principal cause of the current malaise. So let’s try more of the same.
Which “programs” should be cut? Should we cut the six-figure state pensions? Should we get rid of thousands of educationists? How about the 50,000 state government jobs that didn’t exist on the day we ran Gray Davis out of office?
There’s going to be hell to pay for all of this, but there is no one left alive in the government who is dumb enough to raise taxes anymore.

“Yup the absolute failure of Prop 13 and the need to revise it.
“Scrap prop 13 protections for commercial property and anything but a primary residence and many budget difficulties disappear.”
This person is indulging in economic baby-talk, and it is pitiful to behold. It sounds like it might have come from a California legislator, except few of them right now are stupid enough to try to Prop. 13. It was a huge sucess which did exactly what it was intended to do. The economic woes of this state have been self-inflicted by its legislators and its chief executives.

“It was a huge sucess which did exactly what it was intended to do.”
I agree.
It did what it was designed to do, starve the government while protecting the assets of the wealthy.
Now we reap what we have sown.

“CA right now has the highest state income tax and the highest state sales tax in the US,”
While the recent sales tax increase has pushed us to the top, we are not tops in state income tax, Hawaii is.

“Now we reap what we have sown. ”
Sow Democrats. Reap deficits.

Interesting correlation between taxes and unemployment, if you like pondering illogic . . .

Should we get rid of thousands of educationists? Fascist Hyena
educationists? ROTFLMAO … more ‘ists & isms’..
and people wonder why the Repubs are a vanishing breed, a cult of incompetents that take no responsibility for anything…..

Einstein once said, ‘The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’
The problem is that economies are not static. In good times, governments raise taxes and grow the government, the logical reaction to a bad economy would be to lower taxes and shrink the government. Government, unfortunately, is not that flexible so it just grows and grows and grows and cutting anything in economic bad times has the perception of being wrong. Yet, businesses who have to make money do exactly that, they grow in when the economy is good, and shrink when the economy is bad, and they operate efficiently and make money. They are flexible… but they are the devil! Go figure.

“Marx believed that overproduction would be our downfall and that overspecialization would be rampant.”
Marx never took into account a government that would do same thing with his analogy. Supply side economics has led to unheard of prosperity in this country. Affordable goods for every facet of society. The fact that our officially “poor” have cars, homes, and iPhones yet are considered poor is a shining example. A market driven system has brought this about. We, as a country, have slowly widdled away at the foundational principles of that with more and more government. As we cheer on the feeding of this enormous government beast, we fail to realize what it actually means. Centralized control being put into an inefficient and inept government system that has a history of glutonous failings.
Name one, just one government agency or program that performs so well that you would entrust the future health of your children and family to run it. I’ve worked in government for almost 14 years and I can’t think of a single agency that would have my confidence to perform that essential function.

Gibbs comments are heartwarming. And inaccurate, in light of our existing experience with CAFE standards, and decades of data.
Kat: you’re right about materials, but the collisions largely come down to momentum. Weight + speed. So when people say size, they’re really talking about weight. Weight also is a major factor in fuel efficiency. So, we swap heavy materials for lighter ones, and make frames, door panels, etc. thinner.
I do look forward to seeing a Presidential motorcade made up of safe, fuel-efficient small cars, though.