Don’t Forget the Diesel!

Presidential Limo Breaks Down

Ahead of Obama’s arrival.

Preparations for President Obama’s trip to Israel got off to a rocky start Wednesday after his driver accidentally refueled the official limousine—an 8-ton Cadillac known as the “Beast”—with regular gasoline instead of diesel. Let’s hope that poor driver doesn’t beat himself up too much over the mistake, as the malfunctioned limo was towed and replaced with a second one before Obama even touched down in Tel Aviv, none the wiser. Obama relies on the the Beast and several, identical replicas—which are equipped with bulletproof glass, blast-absorbant shocks, and windows and doors that, in the event of a gas attack, automatically seal shut—to ride around both Washington and whatever city he is visiting. The cars are usually shipped to the president’s destination ahead of his arrival.