About three weeks ago, congressional Republicans decided to launch a big push, mocking President Obama for supporting biofuels — and referencing algae — as part of a larger focus on renewable energy. Once reporters noticed that GOP officials agreed with Obama, and sought identical investments in the same technology, the party quickly backed off.
Well, most of the party did, anyway.
Here’s what Newt Gingrich told Fox News’ Sean Hannity this week, complaining about the president and energy policy: “He is losing the argument over expensive gasoline. The absurdity of suggesting that if only we had algae, that algae was somehow going to be replacing drilling, that was so badly received by the country, he dropped it after one speech.”
First, the president didn’t say algae would replace drilling. Second, a focus on biofuels hasn’t been dropped after one speech.
And third, it just so happens that Obama’s in good company. Our pal James Carter flags this 2007 video in which Mitt Romney touted the importance of investment in alternative fuels, including algae. James also passes along this clip of Gingrich in 2008, expressing his support of microbial biofuel technology — which would include algae. Maybe Gingrich should have dropped this silly line of attack “after one speech.”
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