Democratic Climate Revolt

Wall Street Journal ^ | FEBRUARY 7, 2010 | Editorial

[ricks_place]

A bipartisan effort to stop the EPA's anticarbon crusade.

The Obama Administration has been moving full-speed ahead on anticarbon regulation, never mind waiting for Congress to pass a bill. But now opposition is building among senior Democrats, with two powerful committee Chairmen introducing a bill last week to bar the Environmental Protection Agency from declaring that carbon is a dangerous pollutant.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is busy writing new rules that would let her drive a tax-and-regulation bulldozer through the U.S. economy under laws never meant to apply to greenhouse gases. Ms. Jackson is expected to issue new anticarbon regulations for cars and trucks next month before moving on to power plants and other industries.

This is all too much for Missouri's Ike Skelton and Minnesota's Collin Peterson, the Chairmen of the House Armed Services and Agriculture Committees, respectively. Along with Missouri Republican Jo Ann Emerson, they are pushing a two-page bill that would amend the Clean Air Act to restore Congress's original intent and strip CO2 and other greenhouse gases from the statutory language.

This is bipartisanship we can believe in. Such legislation would vaporize the EPA's "endangerment finding" for carbon and thus require the Administration to use democratic debate and persuasion if it really wants to reshape the energy markets and impose huge new costs on American consumers. What a thought.

"If Congress doesn't do something soon, the EPA is going to cram these regulations through all on their own," Mr. Peterson said. "I have no confidence that EPA can regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act without severe harm to all taxpayers."

Added Mr. Skelton: "Simply put, we cannot tolerate turning over the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to unelected bureaucrats at EPA. America's energy and environmental policies should be set by Congress." Yes, they should be.

[jmaroneps37]

“Democrats are Revolting!” Yes they are! :-)

[Retired COB]

People with college degrees often believe in incredibly stupid things.

Put another way, "It's uncommon to find a college graduate with common sense."

[ricks_place]

I seem to recall the Anthropomorphic Global Warming crowd attacking reasoned analysis... LOL!!!!!!

Tickle! LOL

Its the policy that is wrong on technical merit, legal political power, and economic consequence. Attacking the Administrator muddies that message.

The AWG supporters used ad hominem attacks rather than address the issues raised by outsiders who were called behind-the-times, anti-science, flat-earth climate skeptics among other less kind adjectives.

[ricks_place]

Next you’ll be inferring respect for king obuma and heinrich holder because they have law degrees from ivy league colleges.

I do recognize and respect the academic accomplishments of Obama and Holder. Though it would be easier to respect Obama's accomplishments if he actually released his records. The Obama and Holder Policies are wrong on many fronts and should be attacked without quarter.

[ricks_place]

"It's uncommon to find a college graduate with common sense."

It's uncommon to find anyone with common sense.

[Katya]

he was simply refuting what another freeper had written regarding her not having any kind of science background.

[Brett66]

It’s unconscionable that Obama won’t even acknowledge the problems and scandals the AGW proponents have had the last few months, he’s an ideologue first and foremost.

If the MSM were to apply pressure and constantly ask tough questions about it, he might back down from his foolish AGW stance.

[ricks_place]

...Maybe she's just "book smart".

Maybe Lisa Jackson is just "book smart" or maybe she's just smart in the ways of Democrat politics. I wonder if children regularly check their parents insurance situation, doubtful.

Engineering studies require courses in hard mathematics and hard sciences. A Conspiracy of all those Profs to pass someone with highest marks seems near impossible.

Nevertheless, the policy Jackson pushes is wrong on technical merit, wrong on legal authority, and wrong on economics. Wrong, wrong, wrong unless her goals are aligned with ELF, ALF, Ted Kaczynski's anti-technology uni-bomber manifesto, Greenpeace, EarthFirst, and the rest of the eco-wackos.

[kitchen]

BTW, any html you enter by hand will nerf the auto-links of website addresses.

I was wondering about that.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks AGR!

• US Reps from Mo. to propose blocking EPA gas rules
• Effort To Block EPA Greenhouse Ruling Now Bipartisan
• House Ag chairman co-sponsors bid to block EPA regs

[AFPhys]

There may not be enough Dems to override a veto in March, but I suspect that next January there will be more than enough.

[darth]

One time I had to give a briefing to the head of manufacturing on a major aerospace project.

The VP’s deputies cautioned me to read every bullet on every slide to him.

I found out later that the VP COULD NOT READ OR WRITE!

Oh yeah, he was a total JERK too.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I think they should start making snow men, snow women, or in Barney Frank's case, please don't molest the snow. But they should look at that white stuff on the ground and cool their jets. But they won't. They can't. The left won't let them. Ever see a raccoon trap? The raccoon holds a shiny object in a hole, but the object is too wide. The poor creature just stands there until you catch it. The raccoon refuses to give it up. It's pathetic.

[dcgst4]

Yikes!!!