Barack Obama's car could fuel more problems
By Dave Wedge | Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | http://www.bostonherald.com President-elect Obama has stressed the need for energy independence - but he'll be chauffeured around in a gas-guzzling Cadillac SUV limo that could pose a symbolism problem similar to the car controversy that dogged his friend and ally, Gov. Deval Patrick. Obama's presidential ride, dubbed "Cadillac One," will reportedly be a mammoth, custom-made Cadillac limo built like a GMC truck that sits on 19 -inch wheels. The vehicle will also have 5-inch-thick bulletproof windows, cell phone-jamming gear and blast-proof armor. Presidents have been riding in Cadillacs - and some in Lincolns - for decades, going all the way back to Woodrow Wilson in the early part of the 20th century. But Obama's vehicle will reportedly be a much beefier version than President Bush's Cadillac DeVille stretch. U.S. News and World Report reported that the vehicle shares "the same chassis and tires" as a GMC 2500 series truck, "indicating that it is far heavier than a civilian Cadillac." Obama frequently spoke during the campaign of the need to slash reliance on foreign oil and pledged to put 1 million hybrid vehicles on America's roads by 2015. He personally drives a Ford Escape Hybrid. But a standard Cadillac DTS limo, which is a low-level version of Cadillac One, gets just 12 miles per gallon in the city and 18 on the highway and costs $47,000. Several political and automotive blogs have pointed out the vehicle's fuel inefficiency, including U.S. News and World Report, which called it "the most monstrous Presidential limousine yet." "Fuel-efficiency clearly isn't on the mind of its designers," the publication wrote on its "Rankings and Reviews" Web site. But Boston College political science professor Kay Schlozman said security concerns are likely behind the vehicle's design. "I don't know if the president can get away with driving a hybrid vehicle like a Prius," Schlozman said. Besides the gas-guzzling issue, Bay State Republicans said Obama should learn a lesson from Patrick, who took heat for upgrading the state's taxpayer-funded gubernatorial car from a Ford to a Cadillac during his first weeks in office. Patrick later decided to personally pay part of the vehicle's monthly lease. "I think he's following a lot of Deval. They're both using the same playbook on a lot of things," state Sen. Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth) said. Added Massachusetts GOP spokesman Barney Keller: "If President Obama is going to copy Governor Patrick's words and his Cadillac, we assume next he'll copy Governor Patrick's tax hikes and reckless spending proposals." A Patrick spokesman declined comment, while Obama's spokespeople did not return messages. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
