Ethanol is a public policy disaster of the first order.  Even accepting the premise that CO2 is harmful to the global climate (which it isn’t), ethanol does no good, at enormous cost.  The amount of CO2 generated by producing it is enormous – because ethanol requires lots of trucks and railroad cars to transport, because its production is energy-intensive, and because it produces CO2 itself in combustion. Meanwhile, it deteriorates car parts; gets lower mileage than gasoline (so consumes more fuel for the same amount of driving); costs consumers more; and, by raising corn prices globally, causes third-world people to starve.  Greenies lied; people died. But it does enrich Iowa corn farmers.  Hence, until Ted Cruz showed that it is possible to oppose the ethanol mandate and survive popular Governor Terry Branstad’s opposition, the GOP has failed to oppose it with sufficient vigor. Best of all: Those who pandered got defeated.  Stephen...(Read Full Post)