Perhaps seeking to offset some of the recent press garnered by the four Democratic candidates who made an appearance at a United Steelworkers convention in Cleveland late last week, on July 10 President George W. Bush today visited a Cleveland area fuel cell manufacturer and the Cleveland Clinic.
The President's whirlwind appearance began with a tour at GrafTech International, a leading U.S. hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer located in Parma, Ohio. I say "whirlwind" because he blew in, twisted up traffic, then blew back out.
In between, the President actually had some interesting things to say, which I've excerpted below. With sarcastic comments, of course. Only a few, though.
"I've come to Cleveland to highlight a couple of important issues. First, energy independence is an important part of our nation's future."
(Is it just me, or does that line sound like "an important part of a nutritious breakfast"? And isn't that line usually applied to the cereals that aren't anywhere near being a nutritious breakfast all by themselves? Either way, it seems sadly appropriate for this President to be channeling Saturday morning cartoon interruptions...)
All sarcasm aside, the President did sound as if he's seen the "green light," speaking of alternative energies as a security issue, and in the strict market-based terms that are going to prove to be a stronger motivator for adoption than any tree-hugging appeal to guilt or passion.
"One way to achieve energy independence is to promote technologies that will enable us to drive our economy without the use of Middle Eastern oil, for example. And one such technology is hydrogen fuel cells, and GrafTech is on the leading edge of developing a technology that will work, that will be competitive with other forms of energy, and that will enable us, on the one hand, to be less dependent on oil, and better stewards of the environment."
OK wait a second -- that's "on the one hand," but then he never finishes the figure of speech. Where's that other hand, Mr. President?
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