On climate change, the media and Graham need to cut the drama and Democrats need to get it done

[ProSense]

CLIMATE BILL HANGS BY A THREAD....

Tomorrow was going to be a critical day for a new climate/energy bill. The tri-partisan plan -- crafted by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) -- had been shaped over the course of several months, and its proponents were finally going to unveil the details at a Capitol Hill event.

Its prospects looked murky, but much of the necessary legwork had already been done -- the White House was on board with the provisions, and many business leaders, whose support would be critical, were poised to endorse the effort.

Late yesterday, Lindsey Graham signaled his intention to walk away, and in the process, may have killed the legislation.

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I'm not entirely unsympathetic to Graham's concerns -- all things considered, it makes more sense to me to tackle climate before immigration -- but his tactical demands are a little over the top. In effect, Graham is saying, "Do things in the order I prefer or I'll kill both major legislative initiatives."

Specifically, Graham wrote in his letter, "I will not allow our hard work to be rolled out in a manner that has no chance of success." He will, however, walk away from months of negotiations, guaranteeing that his hard work has no chance of success. In other words, Graham is afraid a push on immigration reform might undermine his climate/energy bill, so he's decided to undermine his climate/energy bill.

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Reid: Climate bill could come before immigration

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said today that Democrats might push climate legislation before immigration reform, depending on which bill is ready first.

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“As I have said, I am committed to trying to enact comprehensive clean energy legislation this session of Congress," Reid said in a statement responding to Graham's threat.

"Doing so will require strong bipartisan support and energy could be next if it's ready. I have also said we will try to pass comprehensive immigration reform. This too will require bipartisan support and significant committee work that has not yet begun," Reid added.

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“I appreciate the work of Senator Graham on both of these issues and understand the tremendous pressure he is under from members of his own party not to work with us on either measure," Reid said.

"But I will not allow him to play one issue off of another, and neither will the American people. They expect us to do both, and they will not accept the notion that trying to act on one is an excuse for not acting on the other."

White House Responds To Graham Climate Letter: 'Determined To See It Happen This Year'

White House climate czar Carol Browner issued a statement tonight responding to Sen. Lindsey Graham's suggestion that immigration would derail the bipartisan climate change legislation that he was set to reveal Monday.

Her statement is below.

We believe the only way to make progress on these priorities is to continue working as we have thus far in a bipartisan manner to build more support for both comprehensive energy independence and immigration reform legislation.

We commend Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman for the tremendous work they have done to date to seize this moment and build a new coalition of business and environmental leaders and their efforts to craft a bill that will garner the votes to pass the Senate.

We have an historic opportunity to finally enact measures that will break our dependence on foreign oil, help create clean energy jobs and reduce carbon pollution. We're determined to see it happen this year, and we encourage the Senators to continue their important work on behalf of the country and not walk away from the progress that's already been made.

Senator Kerry via the Boston Globe[/b>:

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Kerry, in a statement, cast Graham’s withdrawal as deeply regrettable but a temporary setback. He said he was determined to press forward.

“I remain deeply committed to this effort which I have worked on for more than 20 years. We have no choice but to act this year. The American people deserve better than for the Senate to defer this debate or settle for an energy-only bill that won’t get the job done.’’

The sudden reversal came after Kerry had already begun talking up the details of the legislation with interest groups and reporters.

Calling it a “game-changer’’ that seeks to forge a partnership with businesses instead of punishing them for polluting, Kerry told the Globe the bill would create a system that puts a price on carbon emissions and directs most of the proceeds to the public in the form of rebates.

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[Warren Stupidity]

1. There is approximately zero chance of meaningful action on climate change.

Meaningful change requires hard political choices, life style changes, and concerted conscious deliberate effort by government, the private sector, and the citizenry, to act together for the common good. It isn't going to happen. The path of least resistance, do nothing, is the path we will take. Welcome to Eaarth.

[ProSense]

3. Don't agree. It's also completely ridiculous for Graham or

anyone to suggest that a bill that doesn't exist (immigration reform) will be put ahead of a bill that has been through the mill and is ready to be unveiled.

Think Progress:

In summary: although Lieberman and Hoyer attempted to debunk the rumor, Senate leadership and the White House refused to address the rumor of timing spread by anonymous Democratic staffers and officials. Graham, who has also been the lead Republican working on immigration with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), announced Saturday he would not participate in a bill rollout with its fate on the Senate calendar placed in competition with unwritten immigration legislation.

[Mass]

4. It would have been easy for Reid to debunk the rumor.

Why do you think he did not? Certainly not because he is committed to the bill.

[ProSense]

5. Playing politics

it backfired and now they need to get a grip. No one with any sense can justify derailing this bill. Even Reid realizes this, which is why he points out the reality of immigration reform.

"This too will require bipartisan support and significant committee work that has not yet begun."

[Warren Stupidity]

6. So you agree that ridiculous roadblocks are already being tossed in the

path of this bill, but disagree that we lack the political will to effect meaningful reform?

OK. Graham has already demonstrated his willingness to cave in and rejoin the obstructionists. And it simply is not clear at all that this bill does enough to constitute 'meaningful change'. At best it is likely too little too late. Copenhagen demonstrated quite well the lack of international political will.

We are going down the other path.

[ProSense]

7. The roadblock is being tossed in by a Republican

which is completely expected. They have been known to be unreliable and are prone to flip flopping.

[Warren Stupidity]

8. Which is the point.

"We lack the political will" - I didn't meant you and me, or even the Democratic Party, I meant the collective we. We as a nation will not do what is needed here. The Republican Party will obstruct this bill into near meaninglessness - see Health Care Reform. We lack the political will.

[ProSense]

9. Kerry is not going to give up on a bill that is ready to move forward. n/t

[karynnj]

14. Graham was responding to unverified accounts that

said that. His demand was that Reid clarify the situation - and as this says Reid played it coy. He deserved an answer.

Looking at it from Graham's perspective, he would clearly be attacked when they rolled the bill out - so will Kerry. There are many vested interests and no one gets exactly what they want. It is worth it if there is the expectation that this bill becomes the bill worked on after financial reform is done. Otherwise, if it goes nowhere, he pays a high price for nothing. He is owed at least an honest statement of what the agenda is going to be.

(Another thought is that it implies that the immigration bill is nearer to introduction than he thought, could it be that he thinks Schumer is using his name - and not his and his staffers? )

[Mass]

2. More here - It is a shame it went there, but I am not surprised.

Democrats work in a reactionary way. If a hurricane devastates another major city, may be they will look into it again, but right now, they are too busy trying to score political points against the GOP.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/04/is-it-dead-climate-bill-suffers-setback-over-immigration/1

Joe Romm, who writes the influential Climate Progress blog, says the White House has to figure out a solution. "Obama cannot possibly be a successful president from a historical perspective if he doesn't have a domestic climate bill, since that would essentially doom the chance for an international climate deal," Romm writes.

[Aramchek]

10. that bastard just knows that Immigration Reform means thousands of new Democratic voters in the Fall

[karynnj]

13. How is that? No one gets automatic citizenship

Are you implying that this will generate voter participation by current Hispanic citizens not previously committed to voting? Even if they were designated legal, the path to citizenship takes years.

[Aramchek]

19. It will solidify Hispanics behind the Democratic Party for a generation or more

[politicasista]

11. Maybe the Senator needs to focus on a really hot, glossy issue

One that people will pay attention to.

Based on the Daily Kos diary, Climate Change will not be worth it because it is too "wonkish" or will "put the electorate to sleep." Unfortunately, Jeff Johnson from BET tried to as the Black community what did they thought about Climate Change, most of the responses he got was a "Who Cares?" vibe.

Me thinks that there is still a stereotype that the environment is a "white liberal" issue, when it is not. There is a lot to cover like going green, green jobs for AA, environmental racism, etc.

Do not like Snake Schumer, Reid or Graham (that is why it sucks that Senator Kerry had to work with him and Lieberman :puke:) cause they were going to set him up to make him look bad. JMO.

Guess President Obama feels that immigration will help Democrats with the Hispanic vote and make the GOP look like they are playing the fear/terror card. He is probably playing chess like he did with health care, which worked. Maybe? :shrug:

[karynnj]

12. That completely misreads what the Senator's goals likely are

Whether Daily Kos or DU thing climate change is boring, Senator Kerry thinks it is the biggest challenge facing us now. I assume that he completely knew even before he started Kerry/Boxer that a bill on climate change would be an incediably difficult thing to do and one where critics from many sides would passionately criticize what they ended up with.

Greenpeace was NEVER going to agree with any bill that could pass either House - and they attacked Waxman/Markey, Kerry/Boxer and what they heard of the new bill. It was faith in Kerry that brought tepid - in some cases, very tepid support from many environmental groups. Getting business outside the industry on board was something Kerry painstakingly worked for, but their support is of the "it's a reasonable proposal" type, he got military support backing the idea that doing nothing would create unstable situations that would end up creating trouble. He then got some companies within the industry to see that this was a path to a future that they could survive in - he has patiently worked with some of those executives for years. What this never was was a bill that he would introduce and would have anyone cheering him from the balcony. (yeah, I know that gets you thrown out.)

One of key goals of Teresa's and his book was to make the case that it was not a "white liberal" issue and it did that as well as anything I've seen, spotlighting many people who did things on their own. I have seen the Bronx woman who prevented the additional transfer plant in her neighborhood occasionally on TV over those issues. The book helped give her more visibility. But, that is one of the broader environmental issues - not the drier climate change.

Another part of the problem is that though people SAY they care, I question the degree they do, if there is a kneejerk reaction when there is a rumor of a 15 cent a gallon increase in the federal gas tax. This signals an upper limit of how much it is worth to people.

[politicasista]

15. How to inform Americans that it is the biggest challenge facing us now

that is the question.

Immigration and all its protests are on the news considering what happened in Arizona. Been hearing that there is a need to shore up the Hispanic vote for the Midterm and 2012 elections, given that Obama won this voting block singlehandedly.

I do not think the Senator should give up, it is just that there is so much misinformation about Climate Change and the environment that is it hard to speak about this without being wonkish. How many even know that Kerry is good on the environment if "progressives" are complaining that TMOE was copying what Gore did with TAOR? With Immigration, it is about "them (the Hispanics) taking our jobs, schools, etc. from the Amurican' people." (the TN GOP talking point, sigh!)

Applaud both he and Momma T for making that case about the environment being a broad issue, not just a white liberal one. Same with Majora Carter (Bronx woman). She admitted a while back that the environment and going green was not a top priority (especially now that the unemployment rate in the AA community is still high) in her neighborhood but she hoped that one day people in her neighborhood will catch on.

Good post, do not understand what the gas tax thing is about, but the more that comes out, hopefully it can be explained more to counter the lies/spin.

[Mass]

16. God preserve us of wonkish people!! What is wrong in this country that people cant get

focused when people talk them genuinely about issues and prefer listening to the latest propagandist. This does not tell us a lot about the future of this country.

[politicasista]

17. Yep

Thought it would get better under President Obama, but IDK. There is nothing wrong with being intelligent, but this is Part 2 of the Dumb Down Decade (that is what 2000-2009 felt like).

On edit: Going to just be like a football fan and just watch from the sidelines. There is too much political drama that looks like a political reality show. A la Project Runway. Plus, yapping too much on a message board can be bad for your health!

[karynnj]

18. I don't think it is Kerry or Gore for that matter

If you think of most competing issues they are immediate and obvious. The economy - you see people without jobs, people losing homes, poverty. No one has to educate you on the problem existing. The wars - people are dying, there is hate and anger and it costs a fortune. Healthcare - the problem was very easy to define, the argument was on the solutions.

Immigration - is a bit more complicated and here it is seen as two very different problems - and both the left and right are fractured. On the right, the business side know the status quo provides cheap, exploitable label, but the RW side sees it as you said it is in TN. On the left, the labor unions may be closer to the "TN RW" than to the liberal social justice, effort to provide a path to citizenship. It is that complexity may end of being why this does not pass. In a bad economy, the labor part of the left might be even more reluctant to go along than in 2007. These factions are why there has always been more consensus that there is a problem, than there ever has been on any "solution". This comes from "immigration" as a problem meaning different things to different people.

Here is an interesting collection of polls - http://pollingreport.com/enviro.htm Scanning through them, it is clear that one thing going against Kerry is that is that all the polls that try to balance the economy and the environment show that the willingness to sacrifice anything in the economy for the environment is at a low over the roughly 2 decade history. This is why Kerry speaking of this stimulating the economy - as he has since at least 2003 is a paradigm breaker. (consider that poll has been done for 20 years implicitly assuming there was a necessary tradeoff) This actually is where in 2004 he differed from Gore, who spoke of it more like a hard pill we had to swallow. You may have noticed that every 2008 candidate copied Kerry's approach on that. That and is indefatigable effort to convince business people of that possibility is why this effort is closer than it ever was.

The problem is that when you look out your window, everything looks just the same. For most of us, there is nothing visibly ominous. Unlike any of the other problems, including other environmental problems, it is all looking and believing data. That's very hard for most people. 1970 was easier - the Cuyohoga River was on fire! Pretty dramatic. The real problem is that even though some very major impacts are thought to be caused by global warming, they are not where most people are.

This really has to be legislation that is driven by leaders who are statesman seeing the need to do the right thing - and knowing that they are very unlikely to get applause for it. (Gore's Nobel was unexpected and I would bet that it was also intended as a poke in the face for GWB - as likely was Obama's before he did much and the very belated Carter one. )

[politicasista]

20. Makes sense

Interesting comparison between he and Gore on the environment. Hope President Obama will take this issue seriously and demand this to get passed. IDK if he will wait due to the immigration ruling, but he needs to chew Reid out over this.

OTOH, will just watch from the sideline to see how this all plays out. All this can make a non-political junkie's head spin.

[unabelladonna]

21. it is not a bread and butter issue

people are concerned about NOW, not what is going to be in the near/distant future. we are tapped out. esoteric talk on climate change and how to solve it isn't on anyone's radar.
environment is also local (like politics). people will get together to stop pollution or problems in their own neighborhoods. a perfect example is the windfarms off cape cod. the average person becomes cynical when they see white, rich liberals complaining about boating and views if they're built.

we all know who will suffer the most with some of the stringent regulations and taxes hidden in any climate bill...and we all know who will benefit (the bankers/carbon traders).