Statement of Senator Barack Obama on the Climate Change Bill

My Barack Obama.com ^ | 6/06/08 | Barack Obama

[vrwc54]

As this week’s debate on climate change has unfolded, the American people and those watching us around the world had every reason to hope that we would act. Every credible scientist and expert believes action is necessary. This is critical and long overdue legislation that represents a good first step in addressing one of the most serious problems facing our generation.

Like many of my Senate colleagues, I believe the legislation could have been made even better. Had there been a substantive Senate debate about some of the concerns with this bill, I believe the outcome could have generated broad support. It certainly would have received my support.

Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in the Senate has chosen to block progress, rather than work in a good faith manner to address this challenge. This is a failure of our politics and a failure of leadership – a President who for years denied the problem, and a Republican nominee, John McCain, who claims leadership on the issue but opposes this bipartisan bill.

We can’t afford more of the same timid politics when the future of our planet is at stake. We are already breaking records with the intensity of our storms, the number of forest fires, and the periods of drought. By 2050, famine could force more than 250 million from their homes. And if we do nothing, sea levels will rise high enough to swallow large portions of every coastal city and town.

This bipartisan legislation establishes an economy-wide cap on greenhouse gas emissions. It helps states, cities, and towns invest in technologies to reduce energy bills for homeowners, increase energy efficiency, construct green buildings, and expand public transit. It invests in green technology to help our automakers to retool and our fossil-fuel industries to become clean. The bill provides real financial relief to working families. Importantly, the bill restores our great nation’s international leadership role, while including provisions to ensure that all major emitting nations also take serious action to solve this global problem.

Let me be clear, this bill is not perfect. Emissions reductions must reflect the scientific consensus, which are reductions of at least 80 percent 2050. We must ensure that more middle-class families reap more of the financial benefits created by this bill. And we must direct greater resources to the regions of the country that will bear the brunt of this critical transition to a clean energy economy.

I believe that the American people are ready to lead the world on this issue. The time for distractions, divisions, and excuses is over. The time for new coalitions, informed and civil debate, and a sense of shared purpose is long overdue. As president, I am committed to ensuring that our children and our children’s children can point to this generation as the time when American found its way again.

[cpanter]

It’s sad day when we have to vote for a known idiot versus a somewhat unknown idiot.

[okie01]

In Obama’s statement 3rd paragraph, last sentence - he says that McCain opposes this bi-partisan bill.

As I noted, another source reported the letter I cited.

In addition, it would be odd if McCain did in fact oppose it, because the bill originally saw the light of day as the McCain-Lieberman bill.

You may very well be right and me mistaken. But, in any event, we do know that McCain is making "global warming" a centerpiece of his campaign.

[milwguy]

good catch....yesterday in Chicago he was remarking how he WILL be finishing his second term as POTUS in 2016 when the Summer Olympic will hopefull be held in the Windy City. The man is seriously deranged.

[beezdotcom]

That’s right, you’re talking about the 2003 Lieberman-McCain Climate Stewardship Act....I had almost forgotten about that.

[ArchAngel1983]

Geez, I’m really starting to hate this guy! Holy cow, I hope that’s not a ‘hate crime’. But, in my defense, I can honestly say I hate the other guy as well; an equal opportunity hater…

[Texas Eagle]

Not present. Just like everything else.

That figures. Obama isn't even an empty suit. He's an empty plastic suit cover thing.

[Texas Eagle]

For those who don't know, Obama, Clinton and McCain, all believers in GloBull Warming, did not vote on the bill at all.

Now that's what I call leadership.

Now, if only we could count on any of them to NOT sign any legislation that reaches his or her desk.

Yeah. Right.

[GregoryFul]

Every credible scientist and expert believes action is necessary.

An out and out lie, as anyone who scratched the surface of this hoax would know.

Dr. Richard Lindzen, Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology writes:

I would emphasize that the basic agreement frequently described as representing scientific unanimity concerning global warming is entirely consistent with there being virtually no problem at all. Indeed, the observations most simply suggest that the sensitivity of the real climate is much less than found in models whose sensitivity depends on processes which are clearly misrepresented (through both ignorance and computational limitations). Attempts to assess climate sensitivity by direct observation of cloud processes, and other means, which avoid dependence on models, support the conclusion that the sensitivity is low. More precisely, what is known points to the conclusion that a doubling of CO2 would lead to about 0.5C warming or less, and a quadrupling (should it ever occur) to no more than about 1C. Neither would constitute a particular societal challenge. Nor would such (or even greater) warming likely be associated with discernibly more storminess, a greater range of extremes, etc.

Second, a significant part of the scientific community appears committed to the maintenance of the notion that alarm may be warranted. Alarm is felt to be essential to the maintenance of funding. The argument is no longer over whether the models are correct (they are not), but rather whether their results are at all possible. Alas, it is impossible to prove something is impossible.

As you can see, the global warming issue parts company with normative science at a pretty early stage. A very good indicator of this disconnect is the fact that there is widespread and even rigorous scientific agreement that complete adherence to the Kyoto Agreement would have no discernible impact on climate. This clearly is of no importance to the thousands of negotiators, diplomats, regulators, general purpose bureaucrats and advocates attached to this issue.

At the heart of this issue there is one last matter: namely, the misuse of language. George Orwell wrote that language “becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” There can be little doubt that the language used to convey alarm has been sloppy at best. Unfortunately, much of the sloppiness seems to be intentional.

[cpanter]

Honestly, I don’t know how he would have voted. How did we get in this predicament anyway?

[submarinerswife]

How did you vote on the bill, Mr. Obama?

He didn't vote. Wasn't there.

[Jeff Head]

Every credible scientist and expert believes action is necessary."

This is patently not true. There are many very credible scientists and experts who do not subscribe to the sham of human generated climate crisis. Either Obama is an out and out liar, or he and his staff or competely inept. I am betting on the former.

But, Obama's ardent followers (nor himself) are not swayed by logic, reason, or truth. To them, regardless of his positions, his gaffes, his past, or his associations, he is an idol.

Nothing you can say or do will convince these people otherwise...


Because I am the one they and I have been waiting for...and I am lovin' it.

Those wild eyed people represent the millions of Americans raised in the government day-care and indoctrination centers we call public schools who did not have, or would not listen to, parents and others who tried to counterweight the garbage they heard at school...who have been raised on 60 second sound bite time spans and know no better.

You have other tens of millions on the dole who will vote for him regardless of position because he promises to keep pilfering the public largess for them.

Still othes of millions will vote for him simply because he is black.

Other millions will vote for him because they know exactly who he is and what he represents and agree with his anti-American positions.

The first three are all what is termed, useful idiots, a term coined by Lenin for the dupes he got to support him.

Against this it is left to us to educate, arouse, and amass the tens of millions of Americans who understand and hold fast to the foundational principles our constitutional republic rests upon...many of them the bitter, rural Americans clinging to their guns and religion that Obama so arrogantly spoke of.

Finally, note this comparison:

A populsitic, charismatic, self-serving individual has a way of mesmerizing foolish people looking for an idol...then and now.

Barack Hussein Obama is the apex of the hate-America, domestic enemy in this country. His election as president would be the greatest coup any enemy has ever scored against this country and could easily lead to the worst, horrific disaster in our nation's history.

THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

[steelyourfaith]

 

Calculate your one-day Carbon Belch !

[PhilDragoo]

[aquila48]

“Dear Lord, please save us from these morons.

Amen!

[potlatch]

[PhilDragoo]

He had an Envoy--but a staffer claims Hussein sold it in 2006--

--it was no longer the Envoy he knew. . . .

[Texas Eagle]

He didn't vote. Wasn't there.

Well, he certainly puts his money where his mouth is doesn't he.

[potlatch]

[—it was no longer the Envoy he knew. . . .]

Lol, you’ve got a way with words. I had to look up Envoy as I don’t keep up with makes of autos any more.

My computer froze up again, I see the writing on the wall.

[devolve]

.

Cokehead affirmitive action closet radical Muslim Limo-Lib Commie

We need to pick one network and bring them down

“Consensus” “Invest”

This slimey snakeoil creep needs to run back to Kenya or Indonesia

He thinks he is Mao-Fidel

I doubt his IQ exceeds 125

Even a parrot can talk

[PhilDragoo]

He's a follower. A follower of CPUSA Uncle Frank. A follower of fellow traveler Saul Alinsky. A follower of race-war Malcolm X. A follower of foul-mouth America hating racebaiter Jeremiah Wright. A follower of the Original Interloper Al Pay-The-Damages Sharpton.

And a subservient of the dominatrix Mee-Shell.

He wants to run over and surrender to Rat Boy--after he takes our swords and beats them into coke spoons.

All that's left is sawdust in his skull.

Barack Hollow Man Obomber.

Hoping no body gonna ackshually ax him a Kwesh-shtun.

It would CHANGE evybuddie's beleaf he be the Meh-SIGH-uh.