Grammar Moses: Because, because, because, because, because!

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
This is all about one of my favorite subordinating conjunctions: because.
 
It seems that the word because is disappearing from the landscape of writers and editors, being replaced by since and as, wrote reader Neal Lorenzi.
I d add the empty-calorie mouthful due to the fact that to the list.
But Neal is not done making his point.
It s been happening for a long time. More and more sentences read: This engine offers better performance (since or as) it has 12 cylinders. What s wrong with: This engine offers better performance because it has 12 cylinders ?