Obama's 'Beast' of a limo stands out at green NATO summit
@whiteheather39 (24403)
United States
November 20, 2010 11:32am CST
– The Portuguese hosts of Friday's NATO summit hoped to use the event to promote clean-energy and electric cars, but all eyes were on US President Barack Obama's diesel-guzzling "Beast" instead.
As is usual when he travels, Obama's eight-tonne armoured behemoth of a limousine was flown out to Lisbon before the US leader's arrival, and it ferried him from the airport tarmac to his first meetings of the weekend.
Doubtless he didn't intend the Beast's roar to drown out his hosts' green message, but a US presidential motorcade and its attendant escort of Secret Service SUVs do attract attention, even at the most elite gatherings.
Earlier, Prime Minister Jose Socrates and his fellow Portuguese, the president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, had arrived at the summit in quiet, zero-emission electric cars.
"I'd like to underline the priority both our countries assign to renewable energy and electric vehicles," Socrates said, after meeting Obama, amid amused sniping from the Portuguese press at the mixed messages
In theory, at least, Obama was on side with the plan, remarking: "An area where I want to congratulate the prime minister and the Portuguese people is for the extraordinary leadership that you've shown in clean energy
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101119/pl_afp/natosummitobamatransportenvironmentoffbeat
[b]I don't get it! What is Obama trying to do? Yesterday we hear how Obama is writing a children's book to help repair his tarnished image and now he is in front of the world at the Green NATO Summit showing that OTHERS should practise clean energy but that doe NOT apply to him.
Why does his PR people not at least try to stop him from making such gaffes??
What are your thoughts?[/b]
3 people like this
12 responses
@GardenGerty (157839)
• United States
20 Nov 10
I agree that this is embarrassing, but would it also be embarrassing to have him murdered in a motorcade? Is there someone we could get a car that is energy efficient and make it secure?
Does this also imply that we question the ability of hosting countries to provide security? Did other representatives at the summit drive energy hogs?
3 people like this
@laglen (19759)
• United States
20 Nov 10
I agree that this is embarrassing, but would it also be embarrassing to have him murdered in a motorcade?
um er.. um... no comment
Is there someone we could get a car that is energy efficient and make it secure?
gee that could have been a job or two here.
Does this also imply that we question the ability of hosting countries to provide security?
Portugal ponied up for Obama
Did other representatives at the summit drive energy hogs?
no
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
20 Nov 10
Thank you laglen you gave all the right answers. I am sure that Obama could have had security provided in another type of vehicle. The other dignitaries used energy efficient transportation,
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (157839)
• United States
20 Nov 10
We have had lots of politicians that do "politics as usual" it does seem as if someone in the PR department put their brain on "hold". In a couple of years we will have a whole album of Obama gaffes to scrapbook with. Did the other countries also bring in an entire security entourage, or is it just us?
2 people like this
@mattic (282)
• United States
20 Nov 10
He doesn't care about the environment...or children. They are simply vehicles to attain his desired position as "king of the world" a.k.a UN Secretary General. If he really cared about the environment, he would allow private industry freedom to come up with economically viable ideas that people would voluntarily implement rather than trying to use "social engineering" to impose his agenda. If he really cared about children, he would buck the teachers' unions and allow competition to expose the horrible failure of government education. He would also limit government's wasteful wealth redistribution plans and allow Americans to keep their money. Individuals would help the "poor' more efficiently and with less abuses than government.
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
20 Nov 10
I am confused here are you saying that because President Obama went to summit that promoted clean energy and electric cars President Obama needed to give up his bullet proof, bomb proof limo? Also as to President Obama writing a children's book he already had the book written before he became President he is just now having it published.
2 people like this
@laglen (19759)
• United States
20 Nov 10
I saw this earlier, got disgusted and decided not to start a discussion because I wasnt in the mood for the responses like this - wawawa you cant expect him to give up security, wawawawa he has to have that limo, wawawa it is protocol. Face it, the man and his "team" have no flippin clue. Even medvedvedvedved (sorry I get carried away) is arriving in an electric car...
@GardenGerty (157839)
• United States
20 Nov 10
If an energy efficient car can be made safe, I think he should be using it. There are a lot of other areas where he, and we, could be more energy efficient as well. I think of some of the other hypocritical politicians that are saying one thing and doing another about the environment. (think Gore)
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
20 Nov 10
Well, it looks hypocritical on the surface but I would not want him running about in one of those non-armored "green" cars. While I can't wait for him to leave office, I certainly don't want any chances taken with his life or those of his family. Can you even make a "green" car safe enough to ferry around the prez?
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
20 Nov 10
Obviously all the other representatives used safe energy efficient transportation. I am sure now that Obama's government owns GM they could have designed something special and safe to satisfy even Obama's elitist taste.
3 people like this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
21 Nov 10
All of the other resprsentatives weren't the President of the United States. Regardless of who owns GM, I doubt it's possible to design a green car that would offer the kind of protection any U.S. president needs these days. The armor plated doors alone weigh as much as the cabin door on a Boeing 757...each...and there are numerous other safety features which are necessary and add to the weight of the vehicle. It's not about being an elitist...unless every president since Kennedy was also one.
3 people like this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
21 Nov 10
There was no need for the President of the United Sates to be in attendance. I am pretty sure the president does not attend every meeting he is invited to!! No other heads of state or other such level of importance were in attendance. Just the American show off! He could have had one of his top EPA Czars attend in his place!!
2 people like this
@djbtol (5493)
• United States
21 Nov 10
The irony of obama's pollution beast going to the NATO summit meeting to talk about being green. This is consistent behavior though. Those who speak loudest about being green, including Al Gore and Hollywood types, are generally the largest polluters.
What obama should have talked about is the carbon footprint for his recent global trip to India, Indonesia, etc. His roving army included 34 ships. He probably generated enough carbon to even be measurable on a global scale.
1 person likes this
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
21 Nov 10
Most electric cars weigh about as much as a Miata. I could throw a baseball at one side of an electric car and have it come out the other. I don't care how much diesel gets burned when it comes to keeping the president alive.
Aside from that electric cars are largely a joke. They aren't "Green". Where do you think the electricity to power that garbage comes from? Coal, Oil, Nuclear, Natural Gas, etc. Somewhere along the way the energy has to come from a source that isn't so clean. Besides, if there's an emergency it's much quicker and easier to dump diesel in the tank than to charge a 6 foot long and 3 foot wide battery.
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
21 Nov 10
Taskr36 for such a meeting I think if the presence of Obama requires such an auto then just to have saved face he should have made an excuse and delegated one of his countless staff to attend. Apparently there was no other head of state, president or prime minister in attendance. Obama likes to use any excuse to show off, visit foreign countries ...anything except take care of problems in America.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
20 Nov 10
...the administration has in the past said that the president's security arrangements are non-negotiable.
Portugal is way ahead of the U.S. when it comes to electric cars and their network of charging stations, with plans on the table to increase it, but they still only have 100 of them in 25 towns. Do they have a secured, bullet proof and bomb proof electric vehicle the President could have used?
Whatever your personal feelings are about this president or any other one, security is the top priority.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
26 Dec 10
Hiya heather,
I suppose that he had no other kind of Car at hand that would have been suitable and be able to provide him with the obvious Security he needs being the President of the United States.
I don´t think that there are many ecological Cars around that can give security 99 percent proof and also be clean with the Diesel as well.
I have seen a few of those new Cars coming up on the Television but they are not very strong Cars in the sense of they would be suitable to safeguard someone´s life with them. They are more flimsy in make but quite economical yes.
So Obama does need a very strong Car for his own safety and also for his Family I mean as well.
Only my opinion there take note as I think that his thoughts were on ecological things he was also thinking about the Security side of it.
For me it´s only logical that a President of any Country needs one of these very strong Cars for his own wellbeing.
