In Indiana, Obama Touts $2.4B for Electric Cars

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Economy

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Obama today traveled to Elkhart, Ind., a town suffering from crushing unemployment rates, to announce new grants for the city to manufacture electric vehicles.

"I'm here because I believe our ability to recover and to prosper as a nation depends on what happens in communities just like this one," Mr. Obama said. "The battle for America's future will be fought and won in places like Elkhart."

The town's unemployment rate soared 10 points over the past year and now stands at 16.8 percent, a fact the president called "astonishing." He said the area has been "hit with a perfect storm of economic troubles."

Mr. Obama said the city will revive, in part because of the grant announced today for the Elkhart-based company Navistar. The company will receive $39 million to manufacture electric trucks, which should create or save hundreds of jobs once full scale manufacturing at the site begins. Overall, seven projects in Indiana will receive grants totaling more than $400 million.

"Just a few months ago, folks thought these factories might be closed for good, but now they're coming back to life," the president said. "And I want to point out, these thousands of jobs wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the leaders in Congress who supported the Recovery Act."

The investments in Indiana are part of the $2.4 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act announced today that are going toward 48 new advanced battery and electric drive projects. The money will be split among nearly 50 projects in 25 states.

"I don't want to just reduce our dependence on foreign oil and then end up being dependent on their foreign innovations. I don't want to have to import a hybrid car. I want to be able to build a hybrid car here," the president said.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by rightbehind August 5, 2009 7:02 PM EDT: Science will save the day. Ideology is not the way.; Reply to this comment


by reveal5 August 5, 2009 6:31 PM EDT: Windmaster, you have been hounded into a state of disillusionment by the contraries. They win.....Except, you are capable of grasping the truth. You are capable of intellect and reason. You have emotional depth. They do not, can not, and never will posess these gifts. No wonder they are angry. No wonder their only joy is dragging folks down to their level. Except you are not at their level and never will be. They cannot win. They can't go and buy intellect or emotional depth. They know this and overcompensate with vapid, transparent gobbleydegook that only fools themselves and their compatriots. You are not part of their club. Don't let them pull you into the angry, unhappy, unfair, narcissistic, uncompassionate side of the pond. Wear intellect and emotional depth as a badge of honor. Understand their anger is directly tied to the lack of intellect and humanity in themselves. An anger that is unquenchable, because it will never bring them intelligence or emotional stability. Windmaster, if you posess both intellect and emotional depth, you are one of the lucky ones. The goofs who post here will never forgive you for that. Would you rather trade places with them and be one of the unlucky few? Or perhaps you can count your blessings and be thankful that you are not one of the unlucky few. Do that and you can't lose. They can neither take away your intellect nor your emotional strength. They can't win, they can only pretend.; Reply to this comment


by JohnnyUT August 5, 2009 6:26 PM EDT: chitown639 you're a moron, the economy would have picked up without spending a trillion dollars on pork barrel projects that had no impact at all on the economy.; Reply to this comment


by rightbehind August 5, 2009 6:19 PM EDT: Electric hybrid is the way to go. Chevy has the best concept I've seen so far. They could make it better by offering a diesel or gas choice for the three cylinder generator. If they want to make it great a small gas turbine which could use gas and or diesel would be the way to go. The gas turbine would offer instant heat or air by using an air cycle machine like they do on large aircraft. No waiting for the engine to warm. No coolant or freon needed.; Reply to this comment


by dsnj1-2009 August 5, 2009 5:44 PM EDT: Go Obama, keep up the momentum; Reply to this comment


by keystonebull August 5, 2009 5:40 PM EDT: Poor old Chitown39. He is in bad shape. Wish he would go home and let his mother change his diaper.; Reply to this comment


by keystonebull August 5, 2009 5:03 PM EDT: chitown639, you need a diaper change. Run home to your mommy and get a clean diaper. Maybe she will reward you with a soda pop. Still not bright enough to see what is going on in this country? Well most American people are waking up and going to send your little man Obummer back home with you. You two can sit around and smoke your tobacco and party with Larry Sinclair.; Reply to this comment

by sdupont73 August 5, 2009 4:51 PM EDT

All I hear are a lot of ideas from the left and a lot of shrieking from the right. I guess this shouldn't be surprising. After all, these are the people who believe that humanity has no impact on the increase in global temperatures. These are the people who think that the best way to fix the global economic crisis that de-regulation has helped cause is to further de-regulate. These are the people who believe that the health plan under consideration is both houses will force the elderly to kill themselves. I wish for once that these people would show the ability to actually reason insteado just yell.

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by woltommel August 5, 2009 4:54 PM EDT: insteado just yell xxxxxxxxxxxxxby sdupont73 August 5, 2009 4:51 PM EDT
Hmmmm, who's yelling


by reveal5 August 5, 2009 6:00 PM EDT: Yo sdupont...You are asking too much... So often people pretend to know, to understand, to be aware...When the truth is, as is so overwhelmingly evident here on this blog.....They do not have a clue. They can listen to the right wing talkers and repeat what they have heard. Perhaps for the first time in their lives, they feel as if they are speaking intelligently as they respeak what they have heard on these far right programs. They do not, can not, and will not understand that these hosts have them working against their own best interests. They are not blessed with reason or intellect. But, for short moments in time...they can repeat what they have heard and perhaps feel they are speaking intelligently. Also, for the folks who listen to rightie talk, they surely must become brainwashed. I believe the truth is that there are certain folks who are not only intellectually, but emotionally challenged. Seems all too often the most uninformed, grandiose, angry, overwrought folks also lack basic compassion, empathy, intellect, and humility. They pretend to know and lack basic emotional strength. These contrairies think lack of compassion is a strength. In reality it is a sure weakness of character. There is an element of emotional retardation present with lack of intellectual grasp. The grandiousness is overcompensation for feelings of inadequacy and insecurity due to their emotional and intellectual deficits. One man's opinion.

by woltommel August 5, 2009 4:49 PM EDT

We have comparatively low electricity rates where I live compared with most of the country and today ACORN was protesting the power company for a proposed rate increase in my area. Will ACORN be protesting increases in electricity costs if we power our cars with electricity. I have a feeling they'll be doing just the opposite. Why are we paying people to protest?

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by chitown639 August 5, 2009 4:55 PM EDT: Yeah, why isn't ACORN secretly building Re-Education Camps like some of the right-wing conspiracy wackos believe?


by woltommel August 5, 2009 5:01 PM EDT: What does that have to do with paying people to protest? When we protest we are confronted Chicago style by the white house. Are you going to rat on me to Obama? Check out his ACORN application site, is that legal to ask citizens to snitch on people who don't agree with him using state money?

by swin5 August 5, 2009 4:39 PM EDT

Rumor has it that Ford is debating whether to call its electric car the Edsel II or the Pinto. Also, GM has reportedly narrowed its' nameplate choices to Corvair or Vega. The president still insists that there is no truth to the rumor that he is demanding the new car be called the Obamamobile. Meanwhile the nation's utility companies are warning of widespread and lengthy blackouts across the country as tens of millions plug in their electric cars each night to recharge them.

This country has gone absolutely wacko!

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