[Newspoetry] "I don't want every American to have to drive this car"

[Editor-Within-Chief]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate rejected tough new automobile fuel economy 
requirements Wednesday amid sharp disagreement over safety and whether the 
new standard would force ``soccer moms'' to abandon their SUVs and minivans.

``I don't want every American to have to drive this car,'' declared 
Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., pointing to picture of a two-seater, 
bubble-like subcompact. He said the fuel economy rules amounted to the 
government mandating consumer choice.

Then, he displayed a picture of the car with two people in it, followed by 
a picture of the car with around 10 people in it, followed by a picture of 
the car with 25 people crammed into it, their contorted bodies twisted into 
a maze of interlocking arms, legs, and torsos.  ``Can you imagine what it 
would be like if we tried to fit 10 million times this many people into 
this subcompact car?'' he continued.  ``This car doesn't have that kind of 
capacity.  It'll literally explode.''

Lott went on to describe new ``clown car'' technology that will make 
high-capacity vehicles possible by 2013.  A ``clown car'' vehicle capable 
of carrying 280 million simultaneous drivers would only need to be the size 
of Central Park, whereas a similar vehicle built with today's technology 
would be nearly the size of Rhode Island.  Lott's plan adds $230 million 
worth of funding and tax credits for clown car research.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Fuel-Economy.html


--
Joe Futrelle
editor-within-chief
http://www.newspoetry.com/