rssWhat Does LeMieux’s Appointment Mean for Climate Legislation?
Friday, August 28, 2009 at 5:09 pm
- 7 Comments
Short answer: Hard to say.
Long answer: Retiring Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) has been a moderate voice on environmental policy — he voted for cloture on the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill last year — and his departure could deprive Democrats of one of their few potential Republican allies on this issue. Odds are that the environmentally friendly Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Fla.) will end up taking Martinez’s seat, but not until January 2011, well past when Democrats hope to enact climate legislation.
In the interim, Florida’s junior senator will be George LeMieux, a close Crist ally appointed today by the governor to fill Martinez’s seat. LeMieux doesn’t have a legislative record, but he’s broadcast his views in other ways. Ben Wessel at 1Sky has compiled some of his writings on climate policy, most of which are pretty favorable toward cap-and-trade. For instance, in the Palm Beach Post, he wrote about climate change:
There might have been a time where the jury was out, but the jury is in now, and we know this is an issue. We can’t afford to ignore it and be wrong.
And on his blog, he wrote:
Florida’s clean energy economy should be among the top in the nation … it is important to look at alternative energy solutions and build a foundation that will have a positive long-term impact on Florida’s economy.
Yet LeMieux’s primary loyalty seems to be to Crist himself — he’s Crist’s closest adviser, and he describes himself as “a Charlie Crist Republican.” And right now, the last thing Crist wants is to be seen as, well, liberal. Crist is facing a primary challenge in his bid for the U.S. Senate from the conservative Marco Rubio, who will undoubtedly challenge Crist’s conservative credentials. If LeMieux wants to do Crist a favor, he won’t inflame the conservative base by crossing party lines to vote for cap-and-trade legislation.
So, for now, the jury’s still out on LeMieux.
–
Follow Aaron Wiener on Twitter
7 Comments
Comment posted August 28, 2009 @ 9:20 pm
If Crist was worried enough about Rubio that he would instruct LeMieux to vote against climate legislation, why wouldn't he just appoint someone else? This appointment seems to suggest that he isn't all that worried and, short of a Republicanesque incident in a bathroom or something, why should he be?
Comment posted August 28, 2009 @ 9:42 pm
There is no way to prove that people are doing anything to the climate. Stop coming up with excuses to raid our wallets.
Comment posted August 28, 2009 @ 10:01 pm
Really? I guess every reputable scientist in the world is just making things up. What's your source? Let me guess: Beck, O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh? Yeah, they are true experts in climate change.
Comment posted August 29, 2009 @ 12:06 am
O'Reilly believes in global warming. After all, he is a self-described “independent” and “centrist.”
But seriously, matt (not matt325) is a very ignorant individual. Also, the climate legislation in question would actually reduce energy costs and put more money in your wallet.
Comment posted August 29, 2009 @ 12:12 am
Seriously? You pay attention much to peer-reviewed science? The debate over whether climate change is happening, as well as whether mankind has caused climate change to any extent is long over, my friend.
Nobel-prize winning, international panels of scientists – not politicians bent on taking your money – have proven this for us. The politics of how to deal with climate change are a different issue… but you really need to come to grips with the reality of a scientific fact: human activity has DEFINITELY contributed to the drastic climate change we are experiencing.
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalw…
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/04/05…
Do a simple google search and you'll find plenty more – you can even read the science reports themselves if you feel so inclined (and are doubting of anything reported by the “liberal” MSM).
Furthermore, mankind ABSOLUTELY has the ability to do something about it – at least, we can take actions to stop making the problem (for us) worse.
Denial of science will get us nowhere but deeper in trouble (and underwater).
sorry if a bit off topic, re: LeMieux and Crist… but comments like the above need to responded to.
Comment posted August 30, 2009 @ 1:04 am
Any bill coming out of Congress will be in favor of the businesses that own congress. Producers will just import more energy from other places that don't have this 'scheme', which will be great for the OPEC nations, Venezuela & Russia which are struggling with low but rising crude prices. It will force more imports. Oh, and by the by, there are no mystery ''green'' jobs. This bill will add hundreds of thousands to the unemployment figures, which currently stands at 16% U6 measure, and 22% if you count those that are no longer 'counted'.
Every single thing that you buy, consume or presently own will be more expensive to purchase or maintain. Everything.
All of this, to accomplish nothing. We will just shift the pollution somewhere else where there will be no thought to what is emitted. Just like jobs today, they will go where there is little or no regulation or lower taxes/wages. We are being equalized with our trading partners, like China and Mexico. If you want to live like they do, let things continue as they have for the last 15 or so years. . . . we'll be there in another 15.
Pingback posted September 4, 2009 @ 3:45 am
[...] Visit Source [...]
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
