BUSH EMBARKS ON CROSS-COUNTRY MOTORCADE TO PROMOTE LESS DRIVING

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BUSH EMBARKS ON CROSS-COUNTRY MOTORCADE TO PROMOTE LESS DRIVING

200-Vehicle Convoy to Send Message of Conservation, President Says

Hoping to send a powerful message about energy conservation, President George W. Bush said today that he would embark on an historic cross-country motorcade to promote less driving.

"The time has come for the American people to wean themselves from their dependence on foreign oil, and I intend to get behind the wheel myself to send that message," Mr. Bush told reporters at the White House today.

Taking a hands-on role in the symbolic odyssey, Mr. Bush said that he would pilot the lead car in the motorcade, a Ford F250 pickup that he uses to drive around his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

The president said that he personally ordered a ranch hand to drive the pickup truck from Crawford to Washington, D.C. so that Mr. Bush would have it in time for the historic journey.

Mr. Bush added that in the event a national security emergency should require him to leave his energy conservation tour before it is complete, Air Force One will hover over the motorcade at all times, refueling in midair.

While some skeptics wondered whether Mr. Bush's cross-country trek would succeed in convincing Americans to drive less, it has already inspired one citizen to do so, as Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex) today volunteered to cancel his trip to Texas to stand trial on conspiracy charges.

"I asked myself, 'Is this trip necessary?' and I decided it wasn't," Rep. DeLay said.

Elsewhere, First Lady Laura Bush said she would appear on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," while Vice President Dick Cheney said he would appear on "Lost."

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