climate change

Anyone who pooh-poohed Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) politically courageous decision to work with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) to help craft bipartisan climate legislation might reconsider his position after this news out of South Carolina:
The Charleston County Republican Party’s executive committee took the unusual step Monday night of censuring U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham for stepping across [...]

This is a deeply strange story, ably picked apart by the smart conservative blogger Ed Morrissey. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) has been making the rounds today claiming that the climate bill includes a provision that — in the words of the Washington Examiner — “requires President Obama to act like Venezuelan strong man Hugo Chavez” [...]

Lest you should think that Sen. Max Baucus’ (D-Mont.) “no” vote on the Environment and Public Works Committee’s climate bill signaled his opposition to comprehensive climate legislation in general, look no further than his opening statement this morning at the first hearing on the legislation in the Finance Committee, which he chairs:
[...] I am committed [...]

Over a complete Republican boycott, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed its climate bill last week by a vote of 11-1. The lone dissenter was Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) — a name you’ll be hearing a lot more if you’re keeping tabs on the climate debate. Baucus chairs the powerful Finance Committee and [...]

[UPDATE: Quick clarification. This is definitely a conservative media outrage, but Boaz is a libertarian.] I’m reporting out something unrelated, so I’ve almost missed this, but apparently President Obama has made a major error in not going to Germany for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Politico’s Arena is all over [...]

To no one’s surprise, Republicans are reacting with indignation to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s decision to override the GOP boycott and pass its climate bill this morning. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the committee’s ranking Republican and driving force behind the boycott, just sent out a press release delivering a sharp rebuke to [...]

The Republican boycott persisted, but the Democratic side of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee sent its landmark climate bill to the full Senate this morning, by a vote of 11-1. All Republicans were absent, as was Democratic Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.). Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) was the only Democrat to vote against passage, [...]

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced its support for sweeping climate legislation. The announcement surprised everyone — including the Chamber itself — and was quickly revealed to be a hoax.
Well, today we’re seeing a repeat performance — only it appears genuine. The Chamber has posted a letter on its Website that it [...]

The Iowa Independent reports that earlier this week, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter to Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.), the co-sponsors of a sweeping climate bill that Boxer hopes to mark up in committee next week. In the letter, Grassley trots out a lot of the usual GOP talking points [...]

Finding leverage when you’re in the minority always requires some creativity, but Republicans might have trouble convincing people they’re acting in good faith with this latest effort. The Washington Post reports on a strategy being promoted by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which amounts to, [...]