Norquist: ‘more people will die’ because Bush raised CAFE standards.
Norquist: ‘more people will die’ because Bush raised CAFE standards.
On the David Strom Show on March 22, Americans for Tax Reform head Grover Norquist attacked the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which President Bush signed into law last December to slowly raise corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards to 35 MPG by 2020. Norquist claimed that raising CAFE standards will kill Americans:
The government itself has calculated that around 2000 people a year are killed because of those CAFÉ standards and our cheerful government has just voted to increase them, to make cars lighter, smaller. And more people will die. I mean 2,000 people a year die because the environmentalists think that you should be in a smaller car because it offends their sensitivities that you’re using gasoline.
The Wonk Room debunks this statement here.
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70 Responses to “Norquist: ‘more people will die’ because Bush raised CAFE standards.”
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As long as Norquist is one of them it's a small price to pay. Alternatively, he could drown in the bathtub.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:21 pmThat's some permeating syllogism there, Grove. So how many people ya think YOU killed by slashing tax revenues to the bare bones, thereby ending much needed programs for lower income people?
March 25th, 2008 at 7:22 pmNorquist has been one of the driving forces in destroying the middle class. Shrink the government down to a size that it can be drowned in a bathtub (or something like that.) A powerful, behind the scenes, driver of corporatist rule, he is always introduced as a "tax crusader." A title that hides his true intent.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:24 pmYes. Because 'bigger car' ALWAYS means 'safer car'. I mean, no fear of rollovers or anything, right?
March 25th, 2008 at 7:26 pmSure Grover - none of those ULEV car's have "top pick" ratings from the IIHS, do they??
That is some sad straw-grasping.
Back in the good old days, everyone seemed to understand that the "conservative" movement comprised a fringe of kooks. Maybe some more reminders like this will restore some common sense in the land.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:27 pmThese are the sorts of things which happen when you name kids Grover.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:27 pmYeah, and I betcha Grover drives a Prius right? All this talk of oil is disturbing because we are running OUT OF IT! If we had that 2-3 trillion dollars Bush has tossed away, do you think we could come up with a solution to this problem? I think we could. We know the earth is running out of oil. We know nations will invade other countries to secure their share (I'm looking at you Bush & Cheney). We know our entire infrastructure is based on oil, We know we are doomed if we don't find an alternative to fossil fuels. but what did we do about it? NOTHING! But wait, Obama's paster said something rude - look over there! Shiny objects.....
March 25th, 2008 at 7:27 pmThis is laughable... the days when mass meant safety are (thankfully) long past... Formula 1 cars weigh 600kg and can withstand front-end impacts of over 300 mph... not to mention the fact that less rolling mass means less danger to pedestrians as well.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:28 pmHigher automobile technology leads to fewer fatalities, not more.
Soon Norquist will be pushing for leaden air-bags in vehicles.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:29 pmThe only problem with the 35MPG standard is that it is not a standard. A motorized bicycle can easily exceed the 35MPG figure which leads the manufacturers to do just as Norquist laments. A true standard would be 35MPG for any eight cylinder conventional gasoline engine or equivalent in an automobile not less than 5000 pounds over a ten mile round trip uphill, both ways, with air conditioner and cell phone turned on. Or any ratio standard that fixes the size and weight of the automobile and makes the manufacturers improve the efficiency of their engines not reduce the vehicle to the motorized bicycle.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:31 pmi cant wait til that man dies, preferably drowned in a bathrub.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:31 pmThousands of people have sold their SUV, Grover, because gas is too expensive, not because of what an environmentalist thinks they should drive.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:33 pmbelac Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
This is laughable… the days when mass meant safety are (thankfully) long past… Formula 1 cars weigh 600kg and can withstand front-end impacts of over 300 mph… not to mention the fact that less rolling mass means less danger to pedestrians as well.
Higher automobile technology leads to fewer fatalities, not more.
Exactly! You obviously learn from a multitude of sources and ask lots of questions. You also understand that if all the answers come from Detroit (and Tokyo), you may not get the best picture of the problem. Bush and Cheney get their walking papers from GM, Ford, etc...so they are merely parroting what Detroit told them to say. If you think about it, oil just might be the anti-christ all the devout christians are trying to describe. If we continue to worship oil, we will definitely be looking at a version of Rapture.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:34 pmIf everyone drove smaller, lighter cars, we wouldn't get crushed into balls of tinfoil by the monster cars.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:35 pmWhy is Grover not in jail?
March 25th, 2008 at 7:37 pmNevar Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
If everyone drove smaller, lighter cars, we wouldn’t get crushed into balls of tinfoil by the monster cars.
Have you ever seen a person trying to get a Hummer into a typical parking space? It's really a hoot! Obviously, they cannot do it so they take up three parking spots.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:37 pmGeorge Bush has fallen off Segways and bicycles and he didnt get hurt!!
March 25th, 2008 at 7:37 pmHere's an idea...everyone drive 2 mpg tanks for safety. Soon the oil will be gone, and there'll be fewer traffic deaths.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:38 pmYou libs disgust me!
Don't you know real Americans like to drive cars the size of a Russian WW2 tank?!
We also like our cars to be REAL big, like the hummer, but to have actually LESS SPACE than a standard car. Cuz that's how we roll - and oh, we also like our cars to do 5 miles per gallon!
March 25th, 2008 at 7:40 pm"Obviously, they cannot do it so they take up three parking spots." Strat Rat
Hummer owners also tend to be very touchy about even the least bit of criticism.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:41 pmI confess I find some entertainment in theatrical pointing and laughing at them, but only when they can't ram me....
"We also like our cars to be REAL big, like the hummer,..."
americangoy
I knew a woman once who told me:
March 25th, 2008 at 7:44 pm"The bigger his car, the faster he comes..."
1908 Ford Model T- 25 mpg
2008 Ford Explorer- 16 mpg (combined)
Road Deaths in NZ
March 25th, 2008 at 7:47 pm1908-1920 ~300
2008 ~440
Obviously in New Zeland lower gas mileage has led to MORE deaths!!! /snark
So Grover, do you know how many many have died from illness related to the smog that comes from our gas guzzling vehicles?
Here's another. Most people buy a small cheap car because THAT'S ALL THEY CAN AFFORD! It has nothing to do with anyone being offended by people using gasoline.
What a twit.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:59 pmXisithrus Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
"George Bush has fallen off Segways and bicycles and he didnt get hurt!!"
I couldn't remember how to spell Segway so I used a bicycle.
King George the Dumb has fallen off the wagon many, many times and didn't get hurt for the same reason.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:01 pmI knew a woman once who told me:
“The bigger his car, the faster he comes…”
I heard "The bugger his car, the smaller his dick".
March 25th, 2008 at 8:02 pmbugger??? obviously I meant "bigger". Must have been a Freudian slip.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:03 pmBilbo,
More likely a Larry Craig slip.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:04 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I knew a woman once who told me:
“The bigger his car, the faster he comes…”
I heard “The bugger his car, the smaller his dick”.
I knew what you meant... :)
March 25th, 2008 at 8:10 pmMust be something to it...
I wouldn't know, I drive a Ranger...
I have a little bitty scooter! To drive, I mean.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:12 pmThe Ranger's pretty stiff.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:18 pmThe suspension, I mean.
When will the disorderly conduct charge for conduct in a men's bathroom come out with Grover's name on it? It can't be a long time in coming, such a hateful little man, must be some really deep self loathing there.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:20 pmGrover Norquist is a bumbling, simpering buffoon, who actually seems proud of his knowledge-void.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:22 pmWell it seems Loonie has pretty much summed it up. So now what should we do?
March 25th, 2008 at 8:40 pm* * *
BIG TRUCK - SMALL DICK
* * *
another great bumper sticker heard about today...
March 25th, 2008 at 8:45 pmcould be a big help in changing some minds...
...
That has definite possibilities, katy!
March 25th, 2008 at 8:49 pmIt would be days, if not weeks, before the average bubba looks at his own back bumper.....
I'm thinking
March 25th, 2008 at 8:50 pmSMALL CAR - COLOSSAL DICK
might really be a mind changing extravaganza
Larry Craig is warming his bath.
Grrrwl ;)
March 25th, 2008 at 8:52 pmI forgot to mention in my Wonk Room post -- in 1993 there weren't any hybrid cars on the road. Norquist's assumption that CAFE standards mean lighter cars -- let alone that the safety-weight relationship is tenuous in the real world -- ignores today's reality that there are many other ways to dramatically improve fuel economy than building small cars.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:55 pmlook to european standards and statistics about crashes and gas saving vehiccups ..... they have much higher rates as well safety standards ... as well as less fatalities ... they probably have less road rage idiots too!!
March 25th, 2008 at 9:02 pmSUVs and bigger cars increased crashes and deaths, so this claim is stupidly anecdotally false. Another dum bass comment from Goober Nerdquist.
March 25th, 2008 at 9:07 pmAny chance that he has data on this ?
Cause he seems to have missed that the differences in vehicle size are associated with injury rates. When a large vehicle is beside a small vehicle, the vision of the smaller vehicle is impeded. Additionally, big car folks like to talk about their safety (ignoring the common safety) as they feel safer being up above the other cars - but studies show that the SUVs tend to have a LOWER FOLLOWING DISTANCE, perhaps because of the perceived invicibility.
March 25th, 2008 at 9:08 pmPotato - potahto. Six of one, half a dozen of the next. It's all about inadequacy.
March 25th, 2008 at 9:11 pmExactly right.
March 25th, 2008 at 9:24 pmThe tailgater in my rear view mirror is more often than not a large truck or SUV...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT-WVa14qaw
March 25th, 2008 at 9:27 pmLOL, dbadass......
March 25th, 2008 at 9:39 pmahh, America...........
Norquist can't be impeached but he is the true power behind the throne. He needs to be shut up once and for all. Wonder if he's still having those cute private meetings with all the neocons and Bushbots weekly. I'd call him an unelected co-conspirator. Could somebody look at his finances?
March 25th, 2008 at 9:40 pmCould somebody look at his finances?
see whether he's paid his taxes.....
March 25th, 2008 at 9:41 pmGrover's pal Jack Abramoff is in prison and his other pal Tom DeLay is out of power. Grover can't rip off Indians anymore, so he's giving speeches about intrusive government and starving the beast again.
March 25th, 2008 at 9:52 pmHe's married (recently) but when he was on The Daily Show, my 'dar went off.
March 25th, 2008 at 9:55 pmLarry Craig married late in life as well.....
March 25th, 2008 at 10:00 pmHey, Goober, if you are one of the casualties because of the new regulation, thank God.
BTW, how's your boy Jack Abramoff doing? You and he still in contact. Is he going to introduce you to his new friend from prison, Bubba?
Goober Norquist, go cheney yourself! ;)
March 25th, 2008 at 10:20 pmI agree with ThinkProgress...We both agree with President Bush. Raising the CAFE standards was the correct decision.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:07 pmThis muppet head needs to stay on Sesame Street.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:08 pmMore people will die because Bush invaded Iraq without cause or justification.
Don't worry about safer car standards, muppet.
If more mega-SUV drivin, phone jabbering soccer moms who are obliviates opted for a minivan or wagon to haul around their 2.5 kids, there just might be a chance for peace on Earth.
/snarkedly stated
March 25th, 2008 at 11:17 pmyou mean this little peckerhead is still alive??
March 25th, 2008 at 11:23 pmSomewhere in hell Goebbels and Hess are admiring the neocons capacity for propaganda.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:33 pmGrover Norquist has about as much credibility on any subject as a burning lump of coal. The advantage we have with the lump of coal is that it will eventually burn itself out, turn to dust and blow away. If only Grover would do the same.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:41 pmThe stupid. It burns.
March 26th, 2008 at 1:13 amI thought Grover felt the free market would handle it?
You know, like Bear Stearns going bellie up during the Bush tax cuts. It just seems impossible doesn't it Grover 'ole boy.
March 26th, 2008 at 1:58 amGee, That means cafe standards kill almost as many people every year as Osama killed on 9/11!
It's time for a war on environmentalists! We'll smoke'em out dead or alive! How dare those America haters try to save gasoline?!!
March 26th, 2008 at 3:28 amOr put another way, Osama would have been wise to abandon his elaborate and difficult airplane crashing scheme and just impose higher fuel standards on us instead.
March 26th, 2008 at 3:31 amNorquist is another neocon that must be put on the no-fly list. This presidential appologizer's movements, comments and influence should be restricted. He ignores his complicity in all that is wrong with our nation and its (ah-hem) leadership as a result of the neocon influence on our little woodenhead president. Sorta like Bill Kristol.
March 26th, 2008 at 7:15 amSmaller cars ARE safer cars. They stop faster, most have better visibility, they handle better (lower center of gravity), and besides, lets invest money in DRIVER EDUCATION so we can raise the insanely LOW speed limits instead of lowering them so granny can maneuver her tank without flipping it.
How about a minimum performance requirement too?
March 26th, 2008 at 7:36 amI wonder how many people will die in 9/11: The Sequel. Right now Darth Cheney, McSame etc. are percolating their PNACian plans for another false flag op. These evil people are itching to bomb Iran; this Krime Kabal is trying to tie in Israel and Iran. The Israeli lobby is working overtime with The Sneering One (Darth) and The Senile One (McBush, McWar, McBomb -- what have you) -- further entrench us more in the Middle East. I guess Bechtel, Haliburton, Blackwater USA are really hurting in this (military) economy.
I wonder how many US citizens will die this time for Dick' Wet Dream?
March 26th, 2008 at 9:37 amI wonder how many US citizens will die this time for Dick's Wet Dream?
March 26th, 2008 at 9:39 amas well as less fatalities … they probably have less road rage idiots too!!
I wonder if there is a relationship between the size of the car and the size of road rage?
March 26th, 2008 at 9:51 amConsidering Grover's statement of CAFE standards making cars smaller and light will bring death and distruction to Americans.
In that context, if some sort of CAFE standards were put to the airline industry fleets.
Then Osama's thrust at the trade center would have been with small light wieght aircraft that could not have produced the damage the Hummers of the skies caused?
Great idea Grover, lets put CAFE standards on airlines to take away Al Qaida's weapons.........
March 26th, 2008 at 12:27 pmFirst, let's assume the 200 people per year figure is correct at face value (it's not -- visit the Wonk Room for debunking). This is bad, but it's okay that thousands have to die from a defect before a recall happens, since civil lawsuit death payments have to outweigh the cost of fixing the problem via recall before a car company will consider it?
March 26th, 2008 at 12:59 pmNorquist is an idiot. There I've said it.
March 26th, 2008 at 3:49 pmI mean 2,000 people a year die becausohbetse the environmentalists think that you should be in a smaller car because it offends their sensitivities that you’re using gasoline.bedava mp3 indir
March 25th, 2009 at 4:50 pm