Dems Remain Skeptical on Climate Bill
“The climate bill isn’t going to stop the oil leak”
by Virginia Right, Before It’s News, June 17, 2010 [here]
This morning, Senate Republicans released a new video, examining how President Obama and his administration have followed White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s famous advice to “never let a serious crisis go to waste” in using the economic crisis to sell their $862 billion stimulus bill and their unpopular health care law to lawmakers and the public. And now, the video points out, Obama is using the crisis in the Gulf to push his stalled cap-and-trade bill, which would amount to a national energy tax if passed.
The Hill explains the video “takes aim at White House Chief of Staff’s admonition to ‘never let a serious crisis go to waste,’ in order to warn Obama against using the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to pivot and push for energy legislation including strong measures to rein in climate change. ‘Americans need you to solve this crisis,’ the GOP warned in the new web video, ‘not use it.’”
But, based on a number of news reports today, using this crisis to sell cap-and-trade might be a harder sell among Democrats than the stimulus and health care. According to Politico,
Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, who talked about energy with Obama during a meeting in the White House last week, continued to argue that an energy-only approach has a better chance of passing. “The question is always are there 60 votes for some sort of cap-and-trade bill,” he said. “I think the answer in the Senate is, at this point, no.” …
And Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said, sensibly, “The climate bill isn’t going to stop the oil leak. …The first thing you have to do is stop the oil leak.” … [more]
Note: Leaky oil well, leaky border, leaky economy, leaky approval ratings. The Obama Admin is beset by leaks it can’t plug.