| the Senate’s ongoing clash over judicial nominations ate up precious floor time
By the way, vote for me. I'll make it 71 degrees every day. |
Posted on 06/06/2008 5:50:37 AM PDT by Dawnsblood
Earlier this week, we spoke to Senator James Inhofe from the Senate floor, where he led the opposition in debate on the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill. He seemed confident that the bill would not pass in the Senate, and told us that the overwhelming vote to open debate had nothing to do with support for the bill, but the opportunity to argue against massive regulation of energy production in the US. Inhofe apparently had it more right than he knew, as it appears that the debate will end much more quickly than anyone guessed — and that the bill is dead for this session (via Michelle):
High-profile global warming legislation is expected Friday to be shelved for the year.
Both parties had said they welcomed a wide-ranging debate on the measure (S3036), but it never materialized, in part because the Senate’s ongoing clash over judicial nominations ate up precious floor time and drained the patience of senators.
After a week of partisan squabbling and parliamentary maneuvering, the chamber will vote Friday morning on a motion to invoke cloture and limit debate on a substitute amendment by Barbara Boxer , D-Calif., chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. If, as expected, the motion does not get the required 60 votes, the bill is unlikely to come up on the floor again this Congress.
“We really didn’t expect to have such a truncated debate,” said Boxer. “We are working colleague to colleague to see how many votes we have to stop the filibuster.”
Supporters of the bill had hoped the Senate would begin to lay the political groundwork for action under the next presidential administration. But the unrelated fight over judges halted floor discussion on the legislation only two days after it began.
Harry Reid says he will schedule a return of the bill to the floor if they lose the cloture vote this morning, but his whip, Dick Durbin, rejected that idea. As it turns out, the Democrats from both coal-producing and industrial states want this off the table before the election:
Although parliamentary maneuvers could still extend the debate into next week, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) faced the prospect of failure in a bid to end debate on amendments to the climate bill this morning. In that event, he was expected to seek withdrawal of the entire measure, to the relief of some Democrats from coal-producing or heavy industrial states. …
Some Democrats were worried yesterday that the GOP might try to block withdrawal of the legislation to prolong a debate that many Democrats think no longer works to their political benefit. Republicans have pounced on the high price of gasoline and have stressed that the climate legislation, by introducing a price on carbon dioxide emissions, would further raise the price of gas along with that of all other fossil fuels.
Democrats have big problems in states that rely on coal for jobs and cheaper energy for heavy industry. Lieberman-Warner will drive those industrial jobs out of the country, and coal mining will slow or cease as well. With Barack Obama already facing an uphill fight in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and so on, they can ill afford to have the party associated with efforts to push the Rust Belt and the Midwest into a painful, years-long recession.
Republicans might think to keep the bill alive for at least a few more days, just to drive home that connection with voters in this region. Democrats, led by the coastal Left such as Barbara Boxer, see no problem in kneecapping major American industries in order to adopt a system that has already failed in Europe. Obama himself would have no problem expanding the federal government to all but nationalize the energy industry. Maxine Waters, another coastal Left politician, has explicitly said she wants to “socialize” the energy industry.
Of course, by keeping it alive, the GOP risks its passage. Bush will veto it, but it would provide a certain level of legitimacy to the notion of Lieberman-Warner for the next session of Congress to approve it. Maybe it’s better to have it die at the hands of the Democrats instead.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Even people in EuROPe have finally figured this junk out. It’s just another tax scheme........
During these dark days I would think FRs can go the extra mile and call/email the very few Senators and members of congress that are taking a stand. I will.
There's intellectual honesty for you. Either this bill is essential tough medicine for the country or it isn't and Congress needs a new energy "strategy"... not let's wait until after the election to screw people whose votes we need.
It’s my understanding that the libs had to bring this forth to satisfy their radical base, but didn’t want or expect it to go anywhere......at least not right now.
I tried to warn that Warner was a RINO....
The Dims have been whining for many months now that the Bush administration has no energy policy.
Lieberman-Warner is apparently the Dims’ energy policy. You want energy? Give us your money first. It’s the Dims’ Way.
| the Senate’s ongoing clash over judicial nominations ate up precious floor time
By the way, vote for me. I'll make it 71 degrees every day. |
“drive home the connection with voters”
some of the democrat voters that i talk to are tv-viewers
and even tho’ i read part of inhofe’s wsj article to them,
they think i’m lying!
Where’s McCain??? He would gladly sign tis into law if he was in the big seat.....
Post-election if Obama can get himself elected, this will suddenly be no problem, and nobody will care if the Rust Belt and the Midwest are pushed into ANOTHER "painful, years-long recession."
Of course, if Obama isn't elected, it will still be Jimmy Carter II with McCain in the White House since he'll be as pleased, maybe more, to carry the water for the global warming hoax as Obama will be.
Really a pity we have NO CHOICE in the coming election.
But now, Harry Reid realizes that this bill will hurt them a lot, whether it passes or not.
The bill had no chance to begin with. It was just political posturing before the November elections. The Dems decided not to pursue it any further now because it was becoming a political liability and would have forced some of the Dems to go on the record on positions they would like to keep hidden until after the general elections. Rest assured it will resurface under Obama or McCain and will probably pass.
Yeah, he probably would.
48 senators voted for this cap and trade socialist scheme that would create 100,000 government inspector “jobs” to annoy and harass 5 million businesses. This would be an unmitigated disaster if this were to pass. The price of goods and energy would zoom upwards.
John “I served in Vietnam” Kerry was on the radio a short while ago; he said this bill is going to be re-introduced in 2009, when there’s a new president (and probably more democrats in Congress).
It’s time to take our country back from these crazies.
Is there a role call I can find somewhere?
Not if we do like we did for the Amnesty bill...
The fix is in. The bill will pass and so will amnesty. We have a better shot at stopping both if Obama is in the WH. The battle will be fought in the House. The senate is hopeless.
| I really don't get Dingy Harry. The Senate is already so tilted towards time wasting and yet he brings forward a massive, multi-trillion dollar socialization of the American economy on a Monday...
You watch: they'll do the same thing with all this Green Weenie stuff. Everybody wants to SaveThePlanet™, but nobody wants to lose their job. Give people a choice between those things, and the Green Weenies will lose. But you'd never know that from listening to NBC News. |
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That damned Constitution. It makes the Senate eat up precious floor time with stupid judicial nominations when these expert politicians could be managing the weather for us.
