This is unfortunate.

Even Al Gore says that federal subsidies of corn-based ethanol is bad policy, according to Reuters.

But six Republican Senators -- including Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas -- and seven Democratic Senators want to extend federal tax credits for the production of ethanol, which uses an enormous 41% of American-grown corn.  These tax credits, along with taxes added to foreign imports, are scheduled to end at the end of 2010.

This is the raw purchase of votes.  This is the transfer of money from taxpayers to politically-connected businesses.  It's the government using force to pick economic winners and losers.  It's not Republican.  It's not conservative.

Al Gore is remarkably honest about why he once supported ethanol subsidies:

"One of the reasons I made that mistake is that I paid particular attention to the farmers in my home state of Tennessee, and I had a certain fondness for the farmers in the state of Iowa because I was about to run for president."

The Hill has the text of the letter, signed by these thirteen US Senators:

• Kent Conrad
• Chuck Grassley
• Kit Bond
• Tom Harkin
• Amy Klobuchar
• Ben Nelson
• Sam Brownback
• John Thune
• Tim Johnson
• Byron Dorgan
• Mike Johanns
• Al Franken
• Debbie Stabenow
• Mark Kirk
• Claire McCaskill

HT RedState.

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Connect with Hodge at Facebook, Hodge's Web site, Twitter, YouTube, Kansans for State and Local Reform, and Kansas Progress. Hodge served as one of seven at-large trustees at Johnson County Community College from 2005-'09, as a member of the Kansas House from 2007-'08, and as a delegate to the Kansas Republican Party from 2009-'10. His public policy record is recognized by Americans for Prosperity, the Kansas Press Association, the NRA, Kansans for Life, the Kansas Broadcasters Association, and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.