DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe on President Bush's Hypocrisy Vehicle Plan

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 -- The following statement was issued by Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe:

``Once again, we see that George W. Bush is a man of his most recent word. In 2000, he mocked Al Gore's support for hybrid cars. Today he embraced them on the White House lawn as a good idea.

``The American people are starting to learn what the citizens of Nevada learned last week, George Bush said a lot of things and made a lot of promises during the campaign, but he has no plans of keeping those promises.

``I am glad President Bush has discovered energy policies that come from sources other than his Secret Energy Task Force. From the day he released the energy lobby's energy plan, he has scrambled to find photo-ops and symbolic gestures in an attempt to mislead Americans into thinking his energy plan is anything other than the industry-authored payback that it is.

``If Bush is committed to an energy plan that works, he should abandon the plan written by energy lobbyists and support the balanced energy plan proposed by Senate Democrats.''

DNC Research document below accompanies above release:

BUSH'S FLIP-FLOP ON HYBRID CARS BUSH TAKING A PAGE FROM GORE WHEN IT COMES TO HYBRID CARS

During the 2000 presidential campaign, Bush mocked then-Vice President Al Gore on his proposal for a targeted tax cut for people who owned hybrid vehicles. He, and other Republicans, also mocked Gore for calling for the eventual elimination of the internal combustion engine in his 1992 book Earth in the Balance. Now, not only has Bush proposed a tax cut for people who own hybrid cars, he's also proposed hybrid fuel-cell development, with an aim at eventually eliminating the internal combustion engine.

FLIP: ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL BUSH CRITICIZED SUPPORT FOR TAX CREDITS FOR HYBRID CARS

Bush Mocked Gore's Tax Credit for Hybrid Cars. At several campaign stops during the 2000 Presidential election, Bush mocked Gore's proposal for tax credits for hybrid cars:

Bush: "'How many of you own hybrid electric-gasoline engine vehicles? Raise your hands.' Not a hand in the crowd could be seen. 'Well,' Mr. Bush said, 'not too many of you are targeted for that tax cut.'" (Washington Times, 11/2/00)

Bush: "'How many of you own hybrid electric gasoline engine vehicles? If you look under there, you'll see that's one of the criteria necessary to receive tax relief. So when he talks about targeted tax relief that's pretty darn targeted,' Bush told the Arlington Heights rally, drawing laughs." (Chicago Sun-Times, 10/29/00)

FLOP: BUSH NOW CALLS FOR TAX CREDITS FOR HYBRID CARS:

Bush Increased Spending on Renewable Energy, New Technology. During a speech at the Department of Energy, Bush endorsed an increase in spending on renewable energy, as well as supporting new and innovative technology. Bush said, ``If we provide the right incentive and the right partnerships there are no limits to what, arr, (stutter) our entrepreneurs can develop. There's no limit to the technology that we can bring to marketplace. And we saw a lot of that today. We saw new automobiles that will be more fuel efficient while making sure that consumer demand for comfort is met. ... my government is committed to this proposition. Our job is to create an environment in which the entrepreneurial l spirit flourishes all across America. That not only means reasonable sound tax policy that means putting the federal government squarely on the side of innovation.'' Bush announced $85.7 million in federal grants to encourage academia and the private sector to develop new technologies when it comes to renewable energy. (Bush speech at Department of Energy, 6/28/01)

Bush in February 2002: ``We've also, in the bill I submitted, made it clear that any good comprehensive energy plan must encourage consumption by providing over $3 billion of consumer tax credits, available for those who purchase hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles over the next 11 years. In other words, there is a role for the federal government, not only to encourage research and development, but a role to provide tax credits to enhance the marketplace.'' (Bush Remarks at White House, 2/25/02)

FLIP: ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL BUSH SAID GORE WANTED TO ELIMINATE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - WOULD COST JOBS:

In 1992, Gore Proposed the Eventual Elimination of the Internal Combustion Engine. In his 1992 book Earth in the Balance, Al Gore proposed the eventual elimination of the internal combustion engine. ``(I)t ought to be possible to establish a coordinated program to accomplish the strategic goal of completely eliminating the internal combustion engine over, say, a 25-year period,'' Gore wrote. (Investor's Business Daily, 10/12/00)

Bush Mocked Gore for Proposal to Fade Out Internal Combustion Engine. During a campaign stop in Michigan, Bush mocked then-Vice President Al Gore for proposing the eventual elimination of the internal combustion engine in his 1992 book Earth in the Balance. ``I doubt he mentions this when he comes to Michigan. In speeches, he calls autoworkers his friends. But in his book, he declares that power -- the engines that power your cars are his enemy,'' Bush said. At another campaign stop, Bush said, ``I look forward to Vice President Gore coming into your city to explain to workers why his statements about the automobile engine make sense. I look forward to him standing up here and saying, 'My vision for America is one where you won't be working.''' (CNN, ``Inside Politics,'' 10/13/00; Charlotte Observer, 2/22/00)

Iacocca Criticized Gore's Plan for Hybrid Cars in 2000 Ad. During the 2000 presidential campaign, former head of Chrysler Lee Iacocca appeared in ads criticizing Gore's plan to replace the internal combustion engine. `` ... Gore's extreme ideas about cars could cost a lot of Michigan families their jobs. Mr. Gore writes ... the gasoline engine is a threat to our future and we should scrap it. Al Gore makes you the car as our enemy, but in Michigan, it's our jobs.'' (Iacocca Ad, 10/26/00)

FLOP: BUSH ADMINISTRATION SAYS GOAL IS TO ELIMINATE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE:

Bush Administration Proposed ``Eventual Replacement of the Internal Combustion Engine.'' On January 9, 2002, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham planned to announce the Bush Administration's support of a plan to develop hydrogen-based fuel cells to power the cars of the future, which, according the New York Times, ``aim at the eventual replacement of the internal combustion engine.'' To do this, though, the Bush administration would stop a $1.5 billion, eight-year government-subsidized project to develop high-mileage gasoline-fueled vehicles. (New York Times, 1/9/02)

SOURCE: Democratic National Committee