"The Senate voted 59-40 against advancing a proposal that immediately would repeal a 45-cent-per-gallon excise tax credit for ethanol blenders. The 40 supporters needed 20 more votes to end debate and move the measure along.

The proposal by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., also would have eliminated a 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on imported ethanol."

Again, politics prevails over common sense. We've been spending needless money supporting an environmentally and economically inferior product, corn-based ethanol, while imposing a prohibitive tariff on a superior product, cane-based ethanol from Brazil.

UPDATE June 16 -

Senate votes to end corn ethanol subsidy

Not law yet, but good news. The vote also called for an end to the tariff on imported efhanol.