Senate Democrats to W. H.: Drop Cap-and-Trade

[Political Heretic]

Senate Democrats to W.H.: Drop Cap-and-Trade

by Lisa Lerer
Bruised by the health care debate and worried about what 2010 will bring, moderate Senate Democrats are urging the White House to give up now on any effort to pass a cap-and-trade bill next year.

“I am communicating that in every way I know how,” says Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of at least half a dozen Democrats who've told the White House or their own leaders that it's time to jettison the centerpiece of their party's plan to curb global warming.

(more)
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/12/27-0



To those of us really paying attention, this was completely predictable.

[Enrique]

1. they want to move on to the jobs bill

they can't wait to demand that it be mostly tax cuts, and threaten to filibuster if it's not.

[liberal_at_heart]

3. we won't get public option, cap and trade, or repeal of Bush tax cuts

At this point I'm not expecting to get anything from these democrats. Watch I bet Obama tries to say he didn't campaign on the repeal of the Bush tax cuts.

[MH1]

2. They don't want to do ANYTHING that might touch corporate profits

never mind the cost to future generations. and the cost to some of this generation in a few decades, give or take a couple.

[cali]

4. utterly predictable.

as are those demanding it.

[ima_sinnic]

5. I'm sure they won't have to ask more than once. Even hinting will be enough.

Sell out to the corporations? How quickly can we accommodate you?

[WeDidIt]

6. Cap and trade will probably have to be sidelined

It's too divisive an issue right now.

[Political Heretic]

7. Unlike health care.

[WeDidIt]

10. I think one or the other could have been tackled given a right of center Senate

but doing both is nearly impossible with the current makeup of the Senate. You need at least another year before you cna approach C&T and hopefully, the Senate can become a bit more progressive.

It was more important to get a health care bill through and signed, though. Far more important.

[bluestateguy]

8. I'm for a climate change bill, but not cap and trade

Cap and trade is a Ponzi scheme and a boondoggle just waiting to happen for Wall Street.

Do it some other way.

[Political Heretic]

9. Fair enough - more its just the fact that they're sidelining the subject.

[laughingliberal]

12. I'm pretty skeptical about cap and trade. The fact that Goldman, JP Morgan Chase and quite a few

other heavy hitters in the financial markets are pushing for it has made me think twice about getting on board with it. It is very likely to be the set up for the next bubble and, of course, the subsequent bust after all the money disappears. If I trusted our government I might feel differently but, past behavior considered, cap and trade will be fashioned in such a way as to transfer more money to the top and leave the rest of us, once again, picking up the bill.

[Mnpaul]

14. I agree

Use the EPA to solve the problem. Sign the petition telling the EPA to take action.

Earlier this month, President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency issued a formal declaration that global warming pollution is a threat to public health and welfare -- something that the rest of us have known for a long, long time.

The way is cleared for the Clean Air Act to become an crucial weapon in our fight to stop climate change. The Obama administration is now in a position to regulate global warming pollution without having to wait for Congress (which has been lured into writing weak climate policies by industry lobbyists with deep pockets).
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/stationary_sources/?r=5125&id=7165-822256-gAO8dCx

[DLnyc]

11. Perhaps "corporate-owned" would be more accurate than "moderate".

Cap and trade is actually the weaker version. I would rather see just a straight carbon tax. But doing nothing at all isn't "moderate". It is a sellout to the short-term interests of a few large corporations at the expense of the long term health of the planet.

(edit: oops typo)

[bread_and_roses]

13. doesn't much matter - cap & trade's a sham and a corporate give-a-way

anyway. not that that excuses them - evidently, even the possible eency-teency cost to our Corporate Masters, even though off-set by profits from "trade" and a liscence to keep polluting and destroying the ecosystem for profit - even that itty-bitty inconvenience is too much for these corporate lackeys.