Senate liberals threaten rebellion on energy bill

[ProSense]

Senate liberals threaten rebellion on energy bill

By Alexander Bolton

Liberal Democrats in the Senate are threatening to vote against energy legislation if it does not address global climate change.

After watching centrist Democrats and Republicans shrink the 2009 economic stimulus package, strip the public option from healthcare reform and slice a pending package of safety-net program extensions, liberal senators are reaching the limits of their patience.

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Some of the strongest critics of offshore drilling within the Democratic Conference now warn they may not vote for it without a measure to require industry to pay for carbon pollution.

“It’s hard to imagine that I would support it,” said Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), after Democrats met Thursday to discuss energy legislation.

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“The foundation of any serious comprehensive energy bill is placing a price on carbon pollution so the polluters can’t keep doing it for free,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a leading liberal Democrat from Rhode Island.

[polichick]

1. YES!!! No bullshit watered-down bill this time! nt

[babylonsister]

3. Oh goody. No bill period. That's how this seems to be shaking out. nt

[polichick]

6. Not this time - it'll pass. The whole civilized world is ahead of us on this...

...with what's happened in the Gulf, we'd be a laughingstock if Congress fails.

[Clio the Leo]

7. lol, suddenly I've been magically transported back to 2009. nt

[depakid]

8. Considering how poorly that went for Democrats and the administration- I wouldn't be laughing

Too bad the progressive caucus didn't stand up and deny the right wing panderers their way early on- they'd have had a lot more leverage.

[polichick]

12. So true - hope they hang tough now. This is THE critical issue! nt

[Clio the Leo]

16. "how poorly that went..."

KILLING me!!! :rofl:

[depakid]

17. The poll numbers and probable result in November are what's going to be killing you

that and of course the health insurers, should you fall ill or are injured.

[babylonsister]

11. Dems are running scared because of elections.

I wish I could laugh.

[polichick]

13. Buck up - and call your Senators! :)

[babylonsister]

14. I've become a bit more jaded in my old age, sorry.

And 'my senators' are in Georgia. :rofl:

[depakid]

15. Pride goeth before the fall...

Who here thought a year ago that Nate Silver would be essentially giving even odds for Republicans to take back the house?

A lot of us would have laughed our asses of and ridiculed anyone who suggested that would be the case. What's even more disturbing is that development may well be the administration's best chance at securing an easy victory in 2012.

[babylonsister]

18. Yawn, as usual. No one has a crystal ball, too bad for you. nt

[depakid]

20. Actually, if you go back and look at my posts last year, I predicted this would happen

as the Dems continued to pander to the right, align themselves with corporate interests and help Republicans to rehabilitate their brand, rather than marshaling their unprecedented political capital and harnessing public anger and resentment against them in the policy fights.

Didn't take Nostradamus to see what was coming via that approach.

[Lorien]

19. Hey, no planet to live on, and political squabbles will be of no consequence anyway

at least there are a few grown ups in the Senate who understand what's truly important and are willing to fight for it!

[babylonsister]

2. Dammit. There's not a lot of time to come to any sort of

agreement unlike HCR (election/Nov.). Is this another way to kick it down the road? That would be the easy way out for a lot of them, and that's disappointing.

[msongs]

4. wow, dems with principle. whatta shock. they should sell out ASAP like their leader does nt

[Donnachaidh]

9. +1000 n/t

[babylonsister]

10. You mean that leader who just secured billions of bucks for

the gulf coast, that sell-out? Sometimes you sound really foolish, though there is another word for you.

[Teaser]

5. good.

.