LaHood drives a 1998, 15-mpg Buick Regal, is of Lebanese descent, and regards himself as being part of the majority party despite being a registered Republican.
"NYT: President Obama has talked about his desire to wean Americans off automobiles.
RLH: What we've talked about is getting to a concept that we call livable communities, where people don't have to get in a car every day. You can use light rail, you can use buses, you can use walking paths, you can use your bike.
As for the most pressing transportation need, LaHood points to the need to repair America's "streets, roads and bridges". Rails may have been inadvertently overlooked.
Thanks to NYTimes.com's Politics newsletter
