PRESS RELEASE:

U.S. Car Fleet Shrinks by Four Million in 2009
After a Century of Growth, U.S. Fleet Entering Era of Decline

WASHINGTON, DC - Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute, will report that America's century-old love affair with the automobile may be coming to an end during a teleconference with reporters on Wednesday, January 6th at 11:00 AM EST.

In 2009, the 14 million cars scrapped exceeded the 10 million new cars sold, shrinking the U.S. fleet by 4 million-nearly two percent in just one year. The U.S. fleet, totaling 250 million in 2008, dropped to 246 million in 2009. Brown thinks this shrinkage will continue through 2020.

Brown says there are several reasons for this decline. "One is market saturation. The United States now has 246 million registered motor vehicles and 209 million licensed drivers-nearly 5 vehicles for every 4 drivers.

Other reasons for the U.S. car fleet shrinkage are ongoing urbanization, economic uncertainty, oil insecurity, the prospect of higher gasoline prices, the rising costs of traffic congestion, mounting concerns about climate change, and the declining interest in cars among young people who have grown up in cities."

This shrinkage in the national fleet combined with gains in fuel efficiency will steadily reduce U.S. oil consumption and carbon emissions. It will also largely eliminate the need for building new streets and highways, and will set the stage for increased investment in public transit and high-speed intercity rail.

WASHINGTON - It's been a summer of setbacks for Sarah Palin. Candidate "cubs" endorsed by the Mama Grizzly in Chief have been suffering a recent string of primary election losses.

The Republicans' 2008 vice presidential nominee promised a pack of "mama grizzly" candidates would rise up and defeat Democrats in this November's elections. But office-seekers she supported in Kansas, Wyoming and Washington state lost their primaries despite her high-profile endorsements. And Karen Handel lost her runoff contest for Georgia governor a day after sharing an Atlanta stage with Palin.

SNIP

Her choices have included a mix of tea party favorites and other antiestablishment figures.

• She backed former Super Bowl champion Clint Didier over establishment-recruited Dino Rossi in Washington state's GOP Senate primary. Didier lost on Tuesday.

• She supported staunchly conservative Rep. Todd Tiahrt in the Kansas GOP Senate primary. He was defeated by Rep. Jerry Moran on Aug. 3.

• In Wyoming, Palin-endorsed candidate Rita Meyer -- whom Palin described as "a unique blend of steel magnolia and mama grizzly" -- lost a squeaker of a gubernatorial primary to Matt Mead.

• And she's going with former New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte over wealthy businessmen Bill Binnie and Jim Bender in the state's Sept. 14 Senate primary -- a move that drew a page one rebuke in the state's largest newspaper.

SNIP

Indeed, frustration with Palin has seemed to be growing, as she has waded into state races and challenged the national party's preferred candidates. She has defied Republican campaign committees' picks in favor of longshots, such as investor Brian Murphy in Maryland. Murphy is running against former Gov. Bob Ehrlich in the Sept. 14 primary.

SNIP

And the money quote:

Palin remains a unifying figure -- for Democrats.

BTW - No quoteee the past sins of the commentators is a house rule that I disagree with but it is still a rule..

I know, I've had my knuckles rapped.

But I still maintain that my point was correct.