Has ethanol hype gone too far?

Have American politicians gone ethanol crazy?

"But as politicians try to outdo one another by approving ever-bigger ethanol subsidies, production mandates and research grants, few are considering the environmental and economic effects of a massive, rapid rise in ethanol production. These are so severe that unless the mania ends soon, they could far outweigh any gains."

I've not been a big fan of ethanol, yet I do support research into ethanol production, particularly because of cellulosic ethanol. Yet, I do not see ethanol is a cure-all, not by any means.

Thus, the recent editorial, Drunk on Ethanol, in the Los Angeles Times really caught my attention.

"Ethanol will definitely play a role in our future energy mix, but not the starring role its advocates predict."