...in the Houston Chronicle found that the Texas governor (perry) and others began lobbyin' for the newer, less restrictive mandates after gettin' a $100,000 contribution to a GOP fund from concerned representatives of the cattle industry (hit hard by high food prices for cattle).

Previous rumors suggested he did it on behalf of the oil interests.

Oil...cattle...environment...just so long as it gets done, I guess?

We don't need their ethanol, their beef, or their soft drinks.  Let Iowa farmers grow real food again.

Il faut cultiver notre jardin.

The $100,000 donation was from "Bo" Pilgrim of Pilgrim's Pride, the largest chicken processor in the US, with substantial holdings in cattle as well. Many ethics lawyers cringe when Bo starts writing checks of $10,000 a pop and handing them out in the lobby of Texas Legislature.  In this case, it was a larger check that followed 6 days after a secret meeting with Governor "Good Hair" Perry (TX) who subsequently sent a nice letter to the EPA docket for a fuel waiver so Texas would not have to comply with the federal ethanol mandates ... whatever it takes I guess, but it doesn't pass the smell test.

Onward through the fog

The dems will hold tight in opposing the loosening of the ethanol mandates until after the November elections.  The corn belt states' electoral votes  are just too important to throw the ethanol supporters under the bus now.  Ironically, but not without precedent, democrats will spout the lies and propaganda of the ethanol and corn industry as well as Bush administration, downplaying the role of ethanol in increasing food prices and trumping up claims that ethanol is now holding down the price of gasoline.

When you build your case on delusions, expect more lies and propaganda to hold it up.  

The Republicans do have the more logical and reality based case to make here, but it does not help that some of their main advocates are from Texas which tends to make this more of a technocratic argument between special and regional interests (oil patch vs. corn patch).  

GOP dissing agribiz corn ethanol?  This is a great opportunity for democrats to accuse opponents of sleeping with big evil oil.  Hehey.

Too bad democrats can't join in the move to kill ethanol.  That's politics.  Most voters still think ethanol is green and clean.  Mass media delusion at work.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

And the garden may have some chickens and geese and turkeys and pigs and goats -- but be nice to them.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.