"We have to look a the broader picture, and Ethanol will play one part of many that would make up a larger chnage in direction from the direction were heading in now."
That was a soft answer, but a hard answer "wouldn't have prudent at this juncture." Clearly, you should take heart that Fred isn't an Ethanol Disciple of any kind. That was hardly the place to have punched a hole in the Ethanol myth. As it was, I doubt the answer he gave was what those hoping for an Ethanol Is The Answer response.