Today's story about the defeat of the ethanol bill in the Argus Leader was simply shameful. First, it's not on the front page. The failure of the biggest piece of economic legislation for the state in years should be. Second, the entire first part of the story is about Daschle's blaming Republicans for the bill's failure. Third, the story provides no context. For example, it doesn't mention, as Congress Daily explained last fall when ethanol was literally on the brink of passage (the House had passed the bill and the President was ready to sign it), that Daschle DIDN'T EVEN TRY to round up the two Democratic votes needed to break the Democratic filibuster. Instead, he went out and signed copies of his books. Fourth, the vote was obviously and blatantly political. Even Senator Grassley, Mr. Ethanol from Iowa, voted against it. He said last fall that the November vote was the "last train" to leave on ethanol and he was right. Grassley also said:
When we have a bird in the hand, it is worth two in the bush. I hope my colleagues, particularly the Democrats who are filibustering this, and particularly anybody from the grain-producing parts of the United States, where they benefit from renewable fuels, will work hard to produce the votes and help us to get the 60 votes so we can pass this bill in an overwhelming way.Don't tell me you are for ethanol, don't tell me you are for biodiesel, don't tell me you are for putting general fund money into the road fund to make up for lost revenue from ethanol--and this bill does that.
Don't tell me those things if you are not going to help us fight hard to get the 60 votes necessary to break the filibuster.
Daschle didn't help, and everyone knows it, because his caucus would be furious if he gave the Republicans a win. Even people in the ethanol industry are stunned by this vote. They can't believe Daschle made this move. They fear it has screwed up the ethanol bill indefinately and they're not happy. Stay tuned. There will be a lot more about this today. But just be aware of how horrible the Argus Leader's report on this legislation is. I suppose this Daschle agit-prop will now make its way to the AP wire for all of South Dakota to consume.
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