Efficient, light, and affordable. That is the philosophy behind the Tata Nano, the world’s cheapest car, and one of the smallest as well. Launched earlier this year in Tata’s home market of India, the Nano is a lesson in minimalism, with a trunk that doesn’t open, a single wiper blade, and a number of other cost cutting features that keep its price down to just $2,160. Yes, you can buy a brand new car for just over $2,000 American dollars in India.
In fact, you might be able to buy one here in the good old U.S.A. in a few years. Reuters is reporting that Tata is considering selling the Nano right here in America. The question is, would Americans buy it?
I am thinking that if they managed to keep it under about 5 grand and it was road safe it would be an awesome commuting car and even better as that first car for a kid.
Fuel consumption? 61 mpg highway and 51 mpg city.
That is some crazy good gas mileage already AND... They are talking about an electric or hybrid version. And given that they are unveiling "His and Hers" versions, His will be Wild Lime outside and leathery inside while Hers will be Cocktail Red and flowery inside and out, a matching set could be seen in a lot of driveways at a low enough price.
In other car news... Toyota is unveiling a Baby Prius that will be a bit smaller and about 3 grand cheaper than its older hybrid sibling.
That's the word from PPP's poll they've done this week in Connecticut.
Want to know how far Joe Lieberman has fallen in the wake of the health care vote last month? Barack Obama's approval rating with Connecticut Republicans is higher than Lieberman's with the state's Democrats. 81% of Democrats now disapprove of Lieberman's job performance with only 14% approving, and he's not real popular with Republicans who disapprove of him by a 48/39 margin or with independents who do so by a 61/32 spread either. It all adds up to a 25% approval rating with 67% of his constituents giving him bad marks.
Lieberman managed to antagonize both sides with his actions during the health care debate. Among voters who support the health care bill 87% disapprove of how Lieberman handled it with only 10% supporting it. But by voting for the final product after getting it watered down he also managed to earn the unhappiness of constituents opposed to the bill, 52% of whom say they disapprove of what Lieberman did to 33% in support.
Overall just 19% of voters in the state say they like what Lieberman did on the issue with 68% opposed.
It's important to remember that all four leaders are unpopular. Pelosi, with a 42%-49% approval rating, only looks good by comparison. Her counterpart, Mr. Boehner, remains roughly as popular as a case of chlamydia (18%-62%). McConnell (18%-64%) is even worse off. And less than a third of respondents (32%) approve of the job Harry Reid is doing.
Yet, the trend lines tell a story. The Republicans have seen only two upticks all year, and they were during the August recess teabagging insanity and during the debate over the Senate Health Care bill (the House passed their version on Nov. 7th) when the Republicans were using every obstructive trick in the book. Clearly, the Republicans have found their only rewards when they've been maximally oppositional.
On the Democratic side, I'm guessing that Pelosi has benefitted from her ability to pass legislation while the country watched Harry Reid struggle to get anything done in the Senate. Yet, when Reid finally cobbled together the 60 votes he needed to pass the Senate's version of health care reform, his numbers started to trend back up.
Reid's numbers may have trended up, but the reality is that they probably only went up because finally finishing his job meant high expectations of what would result AFTER they added the Public Option back in during conference.
Just under 60 percent of those surveyed said they would like a public option as part of any final healthcare reform legislation, which Republicans and a few Democrats oppose.
Here are some of the results of the telephone survey of 2,999 households called from November 9-17 as part of the Thomson Reuters PULSE Healthcare Survey:
Believe in public option: 59.9 percent yes, 40.1 percent no.
86 percent of Democrats support the public option versus 57 percent of Independents and 33 percent of Republicans.
Quality of healthcare will be better 12 months from now: 35 percent strongly disagree. 11.6 percent strongly agree. 29.9 percent put themselves in the middle.
Believe the amount of money spent on healthcare will be less 12 months from now: 52 percent strongly disagree, 13 percent strongly agree.
Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of Barack
Obama's job performance?
Approve .......................................................... 54%
Disapprove...................................................... 38%
Not Sure.......................................................... 8%
Q2 Do you support or oppose President Obama's
health care plan, or do you not have an
opinion?
Support ........................................................... 47%
Oppose ........................................................... 43%
No Opinion...................................................... 10%
The Democratic Party is in for a rude awakening in the next couple of elections unless they turn it around NOW. Because right now? The base will turn on you, while indies that went your way in the last couple of elections will ignore you, and even the few remaining "normal" conservatives that you might have a chance of pulling out of the boiling pot of GOP/Teabagrrrrs whackjobbery will have nowhere to go, either.
Everyone gets that the Senate version, excepting for some parts of it like the Sanders' legislation, is a huge corporate giveaway without a public option available to everyone that wants it. Everyone, left, right and center.
The people that might stick with you want a public option now. And you, President Obama, need you to stand up for what you campaigned on. You can deliver or risk losing all that you and the Dems have gained in the last few years.
I know I am giving a harsh assessment of this sitch, but it is more realistic than just passing anything and crossing your fingers hoping people won't notice. And I guarantee this: If you stick with the Senate version and it is so full of the holes that it has? As soon as it passes the media will begin to pick it apart to the GOP's advantage.
Same thing they do every time. Thankfully at least one of the major media sources is telling you the truth about this on TV. KO on Countdown:
Via BarbinMD, we catch a glimpse into the mind of a "Man of Faith" and Tea Party leader:
But that's not just your typical, nameless, racist teabagger, that's the face of Dale Robertson, the head of teaparty.org., and the man who is devoted to "developing strategy to bring the Republic back under the control of ‘We The People.’"
Ok GOP... You can drag them under your tent because we will never want them on the left. Take all their money too, since that is what all you really want them for. They are and always have been yours since the days the GOP opened their arms to the bigoted Dixiecrats, anyways....
That's the word from 