Aw, almost all the candidates tout ethanol as green and a way to energy "independence". It sounds good and that's all that matters to a politician looking for votes. A good policy maker will really look into the issue when they actually have to make a decision (although politics still play a role of course). This is why Mr Rapier's FAQ is so important - the facts on ethanol are pretty compelling against, but against that you have ignorance and a desperate wish to secure fuel to maintain the lifestyle of driving around every where, all the time, for everything.

McCain had been the most anti-ethanol guy, but he changed his tune for Iowa

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/11/13/839313...

Mike "Heckuva Job" Brown would stand a better chance of winning an election in New Orleans than an anti-ethanol candidate would of winning Iowa's caucus.

In a flip-flop so absurd it'll be a wonder if it doesn't get lampooned by late-night comedians - not to mention opponents' negative ads - McCain is now proclaiming himself a "strong" ethanol supporter.

"I support ethanol and I think it is a vital, a vital alternative energy source not only because of our dependency on foreign oil but its greenhouse gas reduction effects," he said in an August speech in Grinnell, Iowa, as reported by the Associated Press.

so you can bet your bottom dollar that if elected President [Hillary] we'll see more and more of our tax dollars flushed down the toilet

I am not sure that is true. I have seen Bill Clinton talk about imminent peak oil. One thing everyone says about Hillary Clinton is that she does her homework and knows the facts. Ethanol is a farm subsidy that also seems to many to have environmental and national security values. Winning farm state support is essential to win a national election.

Politicians like Clinton know that fossil fuels are limited and that they are going to have to do something about it. The media, oil companies and business in general do not want to have the population scared by talk of severe shortages and the economic downturn they imply. This denial cannot be taken on in a national politic campaign until there is wider acceptance of it in society. People vote for the politicians who give them the most optimistic view of the future. Some people, like Matt Simmons, need to get way out in front and change people's minds but a political candidate cannot do it unless they have no chance of winning and are not really trying to win (although sometimes they throw a desperation long bomb). Perhaps it would be better if that were not the case but we need to deal with the world as it is.