Cap and Burn

The Wall Street Journal ^ | June 9, 2008 | Editorial Staff

[gpapa]

For months, Democrats and the environmental lobby promoted last week's Senate global-warming debate as a political watershed. It was going to be the historic turning point in U.S. climate change policy. In the event, their bill collapsed in a little more than three days.

Democrats failed to secure a majority, much less the 60 Senators necessary, for a procedural vote on Friday morning that would have allowed the real work of amending the bill to begin. By that point, Majority Leader Harry Reid had already made it plain that he wanted the bill off the floor as quickly as possible – despite calling climate change "the most critical issue of our time." But not critical enough, apparently, even to let his Members vote on the merits, much less amendments.

The strange death of this year's cap-and-trade movement was so unexpected that some are already predicting a shift in the politics of global warming. That's premature. Still, the postmortem holds lessons for the next time this issue emerges.

[Liaison]

Good riddance to a bad bill. unfortunately it the Greens will rise again!!!!

[Lexinom]

Maybe a vast reordering of the American economy in the name of solving a speculative problem isn't as popular as the greens believe.

The best and most succinct summary of our approach I've seen to date. Kudos to "Editorial Staff"!

[GodGunsGuts]

...

[Dilbert San Diego]

Let’s hope that the Dems. don’t get to 60 senators as a result of the November elections. The filibuster rule might be the Republicans best friend next year. If President Obama is there to work with a Democratic congress, the filibuster will be the only thing standing between us and unwise legislation such as this.

[GodGunsGuts]

Actually, I was thinking of how we could put together an organization that punishes these fear-mongers long after they are proven wrong and are forced to back down. The problem is these guys always get off the hook and are thus free to move on to their next anti-human agenda item.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

The filibuster rule might be the Republicans best friend next year

Remember the "nuclear option" and the gang of 12. They look quite smart now don't they. There were a lot of myopic FReepers at that time.

[kitchen]

Wasn't the "nuclear option" specifically to address the advise and consent requirement for approving judges?

[pankot]

Did you ever wonder if the environmentalist who are out to destroy us might be the first to Madame Guillotine some day?

[singfreedom]

When I require this collection of Dem jackasses, led by the “Boxing bitch”, to “modify my behavior”, I will call them. They better not call me.

I can't believe ANYONE (even Boxer) was dumb enough to back this boondoggle of a bill, particularly with gasoline already over $4 per gallon—and that's just the beginning! They were even too stupid to realize that when the details of this monstrosity became public, hysteria, then derision, were inevitable.

Earth to Dems, where the hell have you been?!!

[kitkat]

Good news in the middle of the night. Thank you.

(Can I go back to bed now?)

[PhilipFreneau]

>>Democrats failed to secure a majority<<<

Get this! The mainstream media blamed this failure on the Republicans, ignoring the fact that the Democrats hold a majority in the Congress, and yet failed to rally all their troops to pass the legislation, easily performed with all the leftist Republicans supporting the bill (including John McShame). Who would have thunk it?

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

That was the impetus, but the way I understood it, it would have had the affect of making all votes an up or down affair and removed the filibuster option.

Maybe I misunderstood. On the other hand, I am still glad that this provision is there given the strong likelihood that President Obamalamadingdong will be appointing baby-eating freedom-hating godless judges to implement his destroy-America marxist agenda.

[steelyourfaith]

 

Calculate your one-day Carbon Belch !

[sergeantdave]

Reid = fascist traitor

[tlb]

>>>Remember the “nuclear option” and the gang of 12. They look quite smart now don’t they. There were a lot of myopic FReepers at that time.

There are a lot of myopic FReepers NOW. Just days ago I was making this same point to a poster who was going on about the awful, terrible, and unprincipled “Gang of 14”. The nuclear option was insane and suicidal. McCain and company prevented a disaster.

>>>Wasn’t the “nuclear option” specifically to address the advise and consent requirement for approving judges

Once the precedent is set you can change the rules to abolish filibusters on any issue.

[MortMan]

That was the impetus, but the way I understood it, it would have had the affect of making all votes an up or down affair and removed the filibuster option.

That is not the way I understood the issue. It was truly limited, due to the directly constitutional advice and consent role of the Senate in nominating judges.

And I would not rekoice over the bleak prospect of seeing pubbies use the filibuster to block Obama judges. The enemedia would be all over them, and one thing the pubbie party cannot stand is criticism.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Yep I remember the showdown over the filibuster rule as applied to judges. The political landscape is much different now. At that time, there were 55 Republicans in the Senate. This time next year, we might have 55+ Democrats.

I’m glad cooler heads prevailed then. And remember too, as part of the compromise, a number of conservative judges were confirmed as Democrats lifted filibusters and holds they had placed on a number of Bush’s nominees at that time.

I sure hope I’m wrong, but if November’s elections deliver a President Obama and increased Dem. majorities in Congress, it will be tough to fight their legislative agenda.