Quiz of the day: How many gallons does it take to...?

President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney left the White House together today for a meeting with several Cabinet members and other top government advisors.

Each traveled in the customary armored limousine. Each was accompanied by the customary spare/decoy limo. And multiple very large SUVs carrying Secret Service agents. And a truck-like communications vehicle. And an ambulance. And other vehicles carrying staff members. And police vehicles. And two vans carrying reporters and camera crews.

All told, 21 vehicles were in their joint motorcade. They traveled about 2.2 miles round trip from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. to 1000 Independence Ave. S.W. and back.

Their destination: the U.S. Department of Energy.

At the top of their agenda: the effects of high fuel prices on the economy.

Anyone care to estimate the fuel used?

-- James Gerstenzang

Photo: President Bush in a limousine in May. Credit: Gali Tibbon  AFP/Getty Images

Comments

[Jack]

Well, you know how it is. An aide asks, "Go for car ride, Mr. President?" And George W. Clueless responds, "weeee!"

Notice how his handlers are keeping him away from microphones during the current Fannie/Freddie meltdown. There's an inherent complexity in that situation they know he couldn't bluff his way around.

[Edwin Jose Palathinkal]

What did you expect a leader of the state to do? Wear a disguise and roam the nation at night? Life is not Arabian Nights..

[David]

21 vehicles traveling 2.2 miles is the same as 1 vehicle traveling about 45 miles (est). If we assume that the average mile per gallon rating per vehicle is 15 miles per gallon, then we can deduce that they all use a collective 3 gallons (or somewhere around $12 of gas (est $4/gal).

[Gina]

"What did you expect a leader of the state to do? Wear a disguise..."

He could have teleconferenced and not a drop of oil would have been used. But that would have required ingenuity and vision, something Mr. Bush sorely lacks.

After all, this is the same president who laughed with glee on Nightly Business Report when asked about the prospect of $200 oil.

[Bob]

Teleconference? If the president did this he would be slammed for not personally meeting w/ the cabinet.
Here's a question - What is the cost of the fuel to the US populous? Answer: $20 divided by 300 million. Ouch - I feel your pain! .... Can anyone say National Health Care?

[Gary Kuhlken]

I don't think that the head of the richest, most powerful country in the world should need to concern himself with the cost of a few gallons of gasoline. Please, get real...gary

[Wayne]

People who think this farce cost $12 to $20 have never lived in Washington.

When the president goes out in his motorcade, all traffic is shut down from the time he leaves until the time he returns to the White House, which has an enormous fuel cost right there. On top of that, the vehicles in his motorcade are left running the entire time he's out, even when he's not in them. And, the armored vehicles get less than two miles to the gallon because of the extra tons of steel plating.

The meeting could have been held at the White House, and the participants taken the Metro to attend. No gas would have been wasted.

The problem here, which the Bush apologists have missed, is how the travesty, once again, demonstrates the complete lack of insight on the president's part.

He just doesn't get it, and neither do his (ever fewer) defenders. From global warming to terrorism to this energy crisis, they keep looking to the past for ideas, directions, and approach. That's why they're doomed to fail.

[Dsmoothy1]

Should he have just whistled for a cab? Is he the first president to travel with security? I am missing something here? Oh yeah the unfunny sarcasm in the whole article.