gas prices. drill now

Yesterday morning, as Republicans in the U.S. House were trying to summon the place back to work on the energy issue, I spotted my Democratic Congressman, Chris Murphy,  in his official car getting on I-84.

Murphy's official car is a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. . According to www.fueleconomy.gov  this model consumes an average of 23 mpg, using 626 gallons in a normal driving year. 

Murphy talks the talk on fuel economy  

Last July, he presented an energy platform that called for at least half of the motor vehicles made in the United States to have flex-fuel capacity by 2015. His initiative included higher mileage-per-gallon standards http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18201067&BRD=2303&PAG=461&dept_id=478976&rfi=6

But obviously that does go as far as ditching the ride he has now,  even though he voted for legislation that will probably ban production of such cars in the not too distant future http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_Average_Fuel_Economy#Future since the minimum will be 35 mpg for the American auto fleet.

Murphy could have switched to one of the most popular passenger cars in America http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/07/june-car-sales-us-buyers-almost-veer-off-the-road.html and gotten a Toyota Corolla, which is good for better than 30 mpg as long as you let up a bit on the pedal and stay near posted limits.

But I guess leg room matters more than authenticity. He tells the rest of us to make do with less, and he doesn't. ...and remember he is the guy who is telling his constituents  "its time to wean ourselves off petroleum" http://www.thenextright.com/ironman/my-tone-deaf-democrat-congressman-mouth-works-ears-and-brain-dont  well, weaning begins in your own driveway, Chris! 

I don't know where Murphy was off to yesterday morning , but I can be sure it had nothing to do with increasing domestic energy supplies. Whadda putz!