- Oct 9, 1999
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A Republican buying an eco-friendly hybrid vehicle -- and a Japanese one at that (not even American-made like the Camry). Stop the presses!! It's a pretty light-hearted read and I love how Howard Dean just had to get his little dig in there at the end
http://www.edmunds.com/insidel.../News/articleId=155708NASHVILLE, Tennessee ? Recently retired Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has traded in the vehicle you might expect him to own ? a 1991 Chevrolet Suburban ? for a brand-new Toyota Prius under the government's just-concluded Cash for Clunkers program.
When asked about the reported trade-in by talk-show host Larry King on CNN's Larry King Live, the former Senate majority leader acknowledged it, commenting, "You don't see a lot of Republicans driving a Prius." He said the "50 miles to the gallon" convinced him to get the Toyota. That, and the fact that "the taxpayer gave me $6,000 to do it, so I'm out there driving my Prius." He also said, he was "very sad" that the Suburban will be junked.
Frist was exaggerating, since the program gives a maximum of $4,500 back on a cash-for-clunkers trade.
The blog "Nashville Is Talking" got confirmation from Nashville auto dealer Lee Beaman that Frist made the trade. Tennessee's WKRN got a clarification from Frist that he had misspoken about how much he would be receiving in government rebate cash.
Not to be outdone, King's other guest, Howard Dean, riposted: "As a good Democrat, I'm about to do the same, but I'm going to get a Ford Escape because I like to buy American."
Inside Line says: A Republican exaggerating? That may be the real news here. ? Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent