This Congress...

... is a let down.

Last night I was bombarded about the news of the new fuel economy standards. 35 mpg by 2012 or something. What a joke, my 2000 Saab with 93,000 miles gets 28 - 30 mpg on the highway and I average 25 mpg per tank. If Congress had some stones the minimum would be up to 50 or better.

I know, I know, it's a minimum, and some progress is better than no progress. But you bet your bippy that Detroit will get to 35 clawing and scratching and whining the whole way there. The cost of cars will go up, jobs will be lost, it's bad for the consumer. Losing coastline and crops is bad for the consumer. Oh, and if you watched Charles Gibson on ABC like I did, you heard the comment at the end of the segment about the $13 BILLION in tax cuts the bill had for big oil. Come on.

The standards for light bulbs too is pretty weak. Compact fluorescents are great, but there is mercury in every fluorescent lamp made. What about the ecological impact when those start hitting landfills? Office building renovations require ABATEMENT of fluorescent lamps because of current regulations. Is the thought that since they last so long, we don't have to worry about it right away?

Oh, and I just looked at TPM this morning, and the Congress that was elected to change the course of the country is most likely going to pass another war funding bill for $70 BILLION today. Really?

I think its all disgusting.