Posted on 03/08/2015 7:17:24 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Potential Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Scott Walker told Iowa voters on Saturday that they supported government policies to boost ethanol use, a change in position that could help their prospects in the corn-growing state.
Speaking at an agricultural forum in Des Moines, the two White House hopefuls said a 2007 law requiring ethanol use should be kept in place despite their general distaste for subsidies and mandates. Both have criticized supports for the corn-based fuel in the past.
"The law that passed in 2007 has worked for sure," said Bush, a former Florida governor.
The shift illustrates the competing pressures that candidates in the 2016 election will have to navigate in coming months.
The so-called Renewable Fuel Standard requires motor fuel producers to use an ever-increasing amount of ethanol and other renewable fuels in an effort to boost U.S. energy production.
Automakers and oil producers say it drives up costs and risks damaging vehicles, and the Obama administration has failed to implement it in recent years.
Conservative groups - and some potential candidates - decry it as a boondoggle.
"I don't think Washington should be picking winners and losers," said Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
The mandate has helped build a thriving industry in Iowa, now the No. 1 ethanol-producing state.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
...Scott Walker told Iowa voters on Saturday that they supported government policies to boost ethanol use, a change in position that could help their prospects in the corn-growing state.
Scott Walker was on top for me, but I consider the ethanol mandate to be one of the most painful and grossly obvious and mind numbingly stupid examples of the fascist state that ANYONE, regardless of party, that supports it can NOT be taken seriously by me.
I’m done with Walker. I’m also shocked. Seriously. Even more, I’m deeply disappointed.
Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Hillary Clinton; three sides of the same coin.
Here's how it's done. Act like you belong here.
It was nice that Reagan never went into the office ininformal dress.
“The mandate has helped build a thriving industry in Iowa, now the No. 1 ethanol-producing state.”
Couldn’t they make the same money by exporting corn for food?
RE: Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Hillary Clinton; three sides of the same coin.
Actually if you look at it... it looks like ALL potential GOP candidates support ethanol subsidies EXCEPT ONE — Ted Cruz.
Walker supports phasing out the subsidies.
Are you really that obtuse?
You're going to accept the narrative of Reuters on RFS just so conservatives can remain divided and the RINO can get nominated?
Hey, if you can’t whore yourself out to the Welfare Corn Queens, you don’t get the nomination. It’s simple math, what’s the big deal?
It sure looks like Walker is willing to shift his position to whatever is politically expedient.
Cruz is the only consistent one.
Seems we’ll have only one choice at the polls: Uniparty.
(Different initial D/R after their name, but same party.)
It is a success if you consider 50 cents on every dollar is gummit welfare. Sorry Scott, you just showed who you are.
Pray America is waking
Ted Cruz - the ONLY person in Washington that truly represents me.
President Reagan did belong there. Senator Cruz was visiting an oval office mockup, I assume, at the Bush Library in College Station. He is not yet president.
Of course they could. Ethanol as a motor fuel is a terrible idea. Besides, even if it weren't, Brazil can produce ethanol cheaper, faster, and better than we can. The subsidy is the only thing keeping the Iowa boys in business.
Ethanol fuel and Global Warming are on the same page in the Green Manual; both absolute, unmitigated, unvarnished un-scientific codswallop, claptrap, balderdash. This whole ethanol thing is an ADM PR stunt dreamed up on the shabby pretext of Brazil using Ethanol as a motor fuel. Now that Brazil is a major oil producer, that stopped!
Cruz ought to go to Iowa and kick both Jeb and Scott's shabby RINO butts.
Why can't we have a candidate who tells the Iowa farmers to get it together, and figure out how to use the food they produce as food?
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