Sen. Graham Peeved on Health Care but Will Stick With Climate Bill

The New York Times ^ | 2010-03-23 | Darren Samuelsohn

[rabscuttle385]

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says he is not abandoning negotiations on a comprehensive energy and climate bill even as he warns of partisan gridlock following the Democrats' push this week to pass health care reform.

"It's going to make it very difficult to do anything complicated and controversial," Graham told reporters yesterday.

"I'm still committed to trying to roll out a vision of how you can price carbon and make it business-friendly. We're still going to do that. ... But the truth of the matter is, I think you're going to find most of our colleagues around here risk adverse."

Graham's continued role in the climate talks with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is critical for lawmakers trying to maintain momentum on an issue that has largely been kept on the sidelines while President Obama and Democrats focused on health care.

In recent days, Graham warned that immigration reform would be the "first casualty" following the Senate Democrats' efforts to complete the health care bill via a fast-track reconciliation vote. And he is also predicted GOP gains this November. "Republicans will pick up a lot of votes from people who think this is bad for their business, their family, and the process used to pass it was sleazy," Graham said over the weekend.

(snip)

"If Lindsey Graham flies the coup, this thing is dead," said Kevin Book, managing director with ClearView Energy Partners.

While Graham said he is staying put, his predictions about the Senate mood appear to be spot on -- at least among some moderate Republicans.

(snip)

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said she would "continue to work" with Democrats on energy and climate change legislation.

[MrB]

“He gettin’ paid.”

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Did I not read somewhere of FR that a judge has ruled it Constitutional to recall a senator? If not, this is the place to start. Light in the loafers, Grahamnesty!

[Brytani]

Hess, just like power companies WANT Cap n Trade and the reason is very simple.

Even with all the fee’s and taxes they will pay on emissions, Cap n Trade is profitable for any company that produces energy products. They don’t have to produce a thing and can profit off of it!!!

Think about it - a power company can purchase “carbon” off of the market, increase their fee’s to their customer base (including the additional taxes/fee’s from the bill) and resell their “credits” for huge profits.

Cap n Trade does nothing for the environment - it’s nothing but a money making scheme for investors, governments, and companies to involves themselves in and screw the public on.

[Ditter]

Houston has a midtown too, just west of downtown. If I had said something was in “midtown” you would not have had a clue where I was talking about.

[MortMan]

In other words, he lied.

[Brytani]

No offense but we can’t make the mistake of thinking the 34 Dems who didn’t vote for the bill are in anyway on our side, or the side of America. They were simply allowed to vote against the bill to assist them in their reelections. If Nancy had needed their votes they would have happily given them to her. Do not be deceived!!!!

There is no such beast as a moderate/conservative Dem
There is no such beast as a pro-life Dem
There is no such beast as a ethical Dem

Repeat as necessary.

As for the GOP, I agree, they held strong and deserve our thanks and praise for doing so. BUT we have to let them know, we expect them to do this as long as progressives are destroying this nation. They can not fold, they can not bend. They also can’t make the mistake of believing they can work with the Dems on anything - they can’t.

[jersey117]

Sorry if I wasn’t clear. I live in Jersey and commute to NYC (not for much longer). I saw him with a couple of business guys getting on Hess Oil’s exclusive elevator.

[Falcon28]

I think I despise Grahamnesty more than McCain. Didn’t think that was even possible.

[raybbr]

But I honestly have absolutely no idea why any Republican would back cap & tax. Graham is clearly nuts.

Yes, he's afflicted with the same brand of insanity that afflicts McCain and Specter.

[Brytani]

That is in NJ.

Their state constitution has an amendment allowing for the recall of a Senator. They must collect the signatures of 20% of the electorate and it’s placed on the next ballot for a vote by the electorate.

Their Sec. of State was refusing to allow a Tea Party Group up there from even beginning the collect signatures on a petition. Their NJ Appeals Court just ruled that they State must allow the collection of signatures; they did not rule on the constitutionality of removing a sitting Senator.

It’s a step in the right direction.

I’ve though as you have (imagine that!!!) S.C. SHOULD begin the steps to remove Graham. He’s already been admonished by the SC-GOP twice and is not popular. If there is a Senator who could be the test case for removal in the USSC it’s Graham. Even if they lose, what a message that would send.

[TCH]

“Graham’s continued role in the climate talks with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.)”

Larry, Moe and Curly... These three stooges have GOT to go!

When will their terms expire?

(If MA was able to wipe the Kennedy “legacy” from the Senate, than getting rid of Lurch should be a breeze.)

[gardencatz]

I’d really like to know why people keep voting for him. I’m not asking facetiously, I truly want to know. He comes from a conservative state where (I assume) they have primaries. He could be challenged by a more conservative person. Yet, here he is year after year, foisted on the entire nation. After everything that’s happened in the global warming scandal you’d think he’d know better.

Cindie

[Lazamataz]

Lindsay Graham: “I am not in favor of how the Obama administration is advancing American Socialism and American Communism. I will help him do it better.”

[AlanD]

Lindsay Graham: “A fish has to swim.”

[Lazamataz]

Limbaugh specifically mentioned Graham yesterday as someone who needs to put a sock in it if we are to have any hope of a Conservative resurgence.

Graham will do whatever he can to destroy a Conservative resurgence.

[devolve]

"Under my plan of a cap and trade system electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket, even, you know, regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad, because I'm capping greenhouse gases, coal powered plants, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers."

- Barack Hussein Obama Junior

January 17, 2008 - San Francisco -

San Francisco Chronicle

---

[concerned about politics]

"Republicans will pick up a lot of votes from people who think this is bad for their business, their family, and the process used to pass it was sleazy," Graham said over the weekend.

And this also applies to the immigration and climate change bill as well. They're all tyrannical. Get out of our faces! (Send the tyrants in Washington back to hell where they came from.)

[vaudine]

One makes him the other. He is both.

vaudine

[b4its2late]

Yes, that’s who he reminds me of.....

[your local physicist]

Lindsey, you're on the wrong side on this issue. Carbon dioxide is a harmless natural substance that is actually highly beneficial to plant growth and agriculture. Adding some CO2 to the atmosphere in the future is no different than if solar energy output ends up being very slightly higher than expected in the future. It just causes a very slight, almost immeasurable, increase in the earth's temperature. But heat does NOT build up over time because the earth has very efficient physical mechanisms for releasing heat back into space. If it didn't have these mechanisms, obviously the earth would overheat in just a few weeks.

What has happened with global warming theory is that some academics mistakenly took some very simple atmospheric models that were never intended for climate forecasting and misused them for climate forecasting without checking the results of their modeling against historical data. Then more academics jumped on that bandwagon, environmentalists jumped on the bandwagon (as they saw an effective tactic for preserving wilderness areas), the liberal media jumped on the bandwagon, and then liberal politicians finally jumped on the GW bandwagon. At that point, almost all discussion of the other side of this issue stopped in the MSM, and as a result much of the public was duped into believing this false theory.

Global warming theory has already been thoroughly discredited by reputable scientists. The evidence against GW theory is all here on FR (and linked sites) under the keyword "globalwarming." I suggest, Lindsey, that you assign a few staffers to start reading these threads before you make an even bigger fool out of yourself. Talking to Sen. Inhofe and his staff about the false theory of global warming is a great idea too.