People are bashing the Beatle pretty bad for having a Lexus LS 600h, a luxury sedan that offers both high performance and a reassuring "green" patina because it uses a hybrid system that relies on an electric motor at low speeds. The kicker is that he didn't even buy it. It was a gift from Lexus for him doing a great job on the tour they sponsored.

"It's like driving the car 300 times around the world," says Gary Rumbold, the director of the British branch of co2balance, which helps businesses and individuals gauge their carbon emissions footprint. "It seems like somebody at Lexus made an error in judgment. They wanted to get something to McCartney promptly, but it backfired. They should have waited a few weeks and sent it by ship."

THE GREEN NAZIS HAVE SPOKEN !!!

It was not clear if McCartney knew the vehicle would be sent to him via air freight rather than by ship. Rumbold said it seems likely the singer was an innocent victim of a mistake made by Lexus executives. The spinning has begun.

McCartney has had an unusually close relationship with Lexus in recent years. In addition to the sponsorship deal, the ex-Beatle -- who shies away from product endorsements -- has publicly praised Lexus for producing environmentally sensitive cars.

The carmaker also produced a one-of-a-kind McCartney-themed hybrid SUV that was sold off to benefit an anti-landmine charity favored by McCartney and gave one of his recent CD releases a special spot on the company's Web site.

I wonder if this event is going to hurt anyone. It seems kinda fishy to me like Lexus leaked this for free publicity. HMMM, what do you think?