A fascinating detail about life in the presidential bubble, from  July 2010:

The president’s last personal car was a Ford Escape hybrid that was returned when the lease was up, an official said. He now is often driven in a car dubbed ‘the beast’ for its armor plating and bulletproof glass.

Obviously, presidents get few chances to drive themselves (that article says Obama has driven himself twice since spring 2007) and ex-presidents are probably chauffeured around for the rest of their days as well.

But when Obama says, “we are experiencing just another painful reminder of why developing new energy is so critical to our future,” and “if we’re going to avoid being at the mercy of these world events” . . . it’s fascinating to learn that not only does Obama not pay for his own gas, not only has it probably been at least six, and perhaps eight years since he’s pumped his own gas . . . he doesn’t even own or lease a car!