Time for Lamar to go

[StumpyBeagle]

Reuters

Some Republicans say open to U.S. climate bill

Some Republicans say open to U.S. climate bill | Reuters

(Reuters) - Some prominent Republican senators expressed openness on Tuesday to a U.S. climate change bill that might be introduced next week and that would need bipartisan support to have any chance of advancing.

Senator Lamar Alexander, a member of the Republican leadership in the Senate, praised the sector-by-sector approach in a compromise bill aimed at reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

"I think a sector-by-sector approach makes a lot more sense for dealing with carbon," the Tennessee senator told reporters.

Winning Republican support would be big breakthrough for Democrats and the Obama White House, especially as some Republican lawmakers have been sharply critical of climate legislation because of concerns industry would be hurt and also due to skepticism over the science behind global warming.

The sector-by-sector approach contrasts to an economy-wide approach taken by a bill passed last year in the House of Representatives that was also sharply criticized by Republican lawmakers.

Alexander said he "would consider a cap on utilities only if we could figure out the right way to do it that didn't drive costs up substantially over the short term."

Republican Senator Scott Brown, whose election in January robbed Democrats of their 60-seat supermajority, told Reuters, "I'm open to reading anything that's being proposed" for climate change legislation.

A trio of senators -- Democrat John Kerry, independent Joseph Lieberman and Republican Lindsey Graham -- are trying to put the finishing touches on a climate change bill that aims to reduce carbon pollution by capping emissions, starting in 2012, from electric power utilities.

The transportation sector would see a new tax, probably after oil is refined, instead of a carbon cap, although the fee would be linked to pollution permits traded in the utility sector.

As for the third sector -- manufacturers -- Kerry, Graham and Lieberman have been weighing a cap-and-trade scheme like the one for utilities, but phasing it in starting in 2016. Alexander voiced opposition to capping factory emissions.

Kerry would not say whether he has succeeded yet in winning the support of any Republicans other than Graham for the bill he hopes to unveil next week.

RALLY AROUND A BILL

Graham told Reuters that the goal was to "put a bill out there the three of us can rally around" and see "the kind of reception it gets once it's rolled out."

But before being introduced, Kerry, Graham and Lieberman still have difficult issues to resolve.

Graham said the trio is "revisiting" how to allocate future carbon pollution permits for electric power companies, a thorny issue that has brought criticisms from various senators, including Democrat Carl Levin from Michigan.

"Things are coming together but there's still some hurdles," Kerry said, without specifying. He said more meetings were needed this week with senators and industry.

Some liberal Democrats attacked the bill's planned inclusion of expanded offshore oil and gas drilling.

"Without very significant alteration of the drilling issues, they'll probably lose my vote," New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez told reporters.

Senator Frank Lautenberg, also from New Jersey who last year voted for an Environment and Public Works Committee climate bill that Kerry's effort builds upon, said expanded offshore drilling could jeopardize his state's beach resorts and related businesses if there was an oil spill.

"I'm not comforted by a 50-mile limitation," on drilling offshore, he added.

The three senators writing the climate bill are hoping to introduce it early next week, according to sources, around the April 22 40th anniversary of Earth Day, an event that sometimes draws derision from some Republicans.

"We're not going to do it on Earth Day," Graham said, adding, "It's going to be offshore drilling day when it's introduced."

Time for Lamar to find a new job, in another state, maybe another country.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

With all the allegedly erroneous data and admissions from so called climatologists that

the data was misleading, any Republican voting for this should be political suicide. A big

mistake. Graham is a gas bag, too. Two RINO's

[oldogy]

Problem is, he is we're stuck with him a few more years. Perhaps a constant barrage of letters and calls would educate him. Be mindful, we could do much worse. I have him on speed dial.

oldogy

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Problem is, he is we're stuck with him a few more years. Perhaps a constant barrage of letters and calls would educate him. Be mindful, we could do much worse. I have him on speed dial.

oldogy

Much worse would have been Harold Ford, Jr, instead of Corker.

Burn their ears up, oldogy. I'll help:D

[Hgunner]

Both of our current Senators need to go, but all we can do in the mean time is call or email and give them an ear full.

[Guest FroggyOne2]

goober linsey graham is in it because he is in support of nuke power.. there are two new plants in the works in SC.

[Guest FroggyOne2]

and as for lamar.. I have been preaching that for a while now.. time for him to go. corker too.

[Worriedman]

Seems the powers that be in the Republican Party of the State of Tennessee still support Lamar, he is to be the featured speaker at the Regan Day Dinner this Friday in Tiptonville sponsored by the Obion, Lake and Dyer County Republican Parties.

[mikegideon]

With all the allegedly erroneous data and admissions from so called climatologists that

the data was misleading, any Republican voting for this should be political suicide. A big

mistake. Graham is a gas bag, too. Two RINO's

Allegedly is the operative word. I haven't done a complete followup, but have read pieces from the scientific community that the climategate emails were not a smoking gun at all (edit context and apply copious spin).

Time to circle back around and fact check our spin doctors. While we're at it, follow the money on both sides of the debate.

[mikegideon]

goober linsey graham is in it because he is in support of nuke power.. there are two new plants in the works in SC.

Goober is in politics! Now we're talkin'

[Guest FroggyOne2]

Mike.. that is why I call it the "gooberment" right now!

[mikegideon]

Mike.. that is why I call it the "gooberment" right now!

Goober may be pretty good.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Allegedly is the operative word. I haven't done a complete followup, but have read pieces from the scientific community that the climategate emails were not a smoking gun at all (edit context and apply copious spin).

Time to circle back around and fact check our spin doctors. While we're at it, follow the money on both sides of the debate.

It's always good to follow the money everywhere. With some folks it does

strange things. I'll stick to the side against the global warming crowd, with

those several admissions of cooking the numbers. Maybe they can do some

better research and get it right.

The trouble with just getting rid of people like Alexander and Corker is who would end up replacing them. Sometimes you get worse replacements by

trusting someone else. They are all politicians. New blood needs to come up from the people, and that is hard to find, with the entrenchment in the

parties. They both have their machines. I started to get active in my local

Republican Party several years ago. Unless you live and breathe inside the

machine it's difficult to understand how they work. I liked the people in the

party. At the local level they are just like you and I, normal everyday

people wanting the same things. Very few in the local arena have much say in the statewide party picks. But it is done by parliamentarian rules.

It is also where money is a player. Alexander and Corker made it up the

ladder with lots of support and money. That's just the way it works.

We'll just have to be diligent with them and keep on letting them know

what we want/expect.

[mikegideon]

It's always good to follow the money everywhere. With some folks it does

strange things. I'll stick to the side against the global warming crowd, with

those several admissions of cooking the numbers. Maybe they can do some

better research and get it right.

There's huge money on both sides of the issue. The good news is that we're both too old to suffer from any of it.

We could just ask Lamar why. He has been responsive to me in the past. maybe he's seen better data.

[Guest HvyMtl]

Guys, you are forgetting something. Alexander has been pushing, BIG TIME, for Nuke Power. This bill plays into it. I firmly believe our "esteemed" Senator is pushing nuclear power a bit too hard... I am wondering if there is some "benefit" to the Senator we have not yet heard about...

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Well, the benefit he may be looking at is Oak Ridge and TVA.

Ha! Right about that, mikegideon. I can't get over how much we do agree:D I'm Glad for open debate.

I'm still worried about the cost to the kids growing up in this mess. They are shackled quite well, by now.

[mikegideon]

Well, the benefit he may be looking at is Oak Ridge and TVA.

Ha! Right about that, mikegideon. I can't get over how much we do agree:D I'm Glad for open debate.

I'm still worried about the cost to the kids growing up in this mess. They are shackled quite well, by now.

No offense guys, but the hell with Oak Ridge. I wanna see one right on Priest Lake

[eapking]

and as for lamar.. I have been preaching that for a while now.. time for him to go. corker too.

+1 both need to go, and Haslam before he even gets to the door.

[Oh Shoot]

+1 both need to go, and Haslam before he even gets to the door.

Haslam will have no probs buying the governorship.

- OS

[eapking]

Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. He'll just have his face on the tube 24x7 and people will just start to buy in. People who just buy their way in are really scary (i.e. Bloomberg).

[dariks]

It was time for Lamar Alexander to go when he voted for the bailout.

I hope people remember this when it comes time to vote.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

As long as you understand his replacement will not do the same or worse. It's that old

"Be careful what you wish for" thing. Just voting someone out doesn't necessarily fix anything. If you recall, that's how the Republicans got their plate handed to them in '06 and '08. Look what we got stuck with. Then make your mind up. Would Lamar's opponent been an improvement? You can look at records where candidates came from and make your mind up better than just voting one weasel out, to be replaced by a dirtier weasel.

[Oh Shoot]

As long as you understand his replacement will not do the same or worse. It's that old

"Be careful what you wish for" thing. Just voting someone out doesn't necessarily fix anything. If you recall, that's how the Republicans got their plate handed to them in '06 and '08. Look what we got stuck with....

Oh, I fully expect that by 2013 under full GOP control we'll piss away the country at about the same rate as now, just in different ways. The Tea Party influence will be absorbed into producing mavericks like John McCain (oh, forgot, he recently admitted he's not one).

Hopefully we can find another dictator or three whose ass we can easily stomp in under the guise of stopping terrorists "over there" and then spend a few trillion more on that. Stimulate the economy, don'tcha know. Of course, we'll have to have permission of the Saudi and Kuwaiti movers and shakers first. Hopefully, we'll be wise enough to at least take oil, or bananas, or rice, or rum, or some damn thing for the effort next time around.

And certainly we'll have to tighten control over our own populous more with Patriot Acts 2-5 for "national security", especially if it looks like there's the possibility of something actually changing the system, like God forbid a Constitutional Convention, what with all the state legislature saber rattling going on.

Meanwhile, nothing gets done about the Southern Invasion, except to legitimize all the illegals, since their tax money spends just like mine. Oh, we might build a few more miles of fence on the border, too, right through them there environmentally sensitive areas, b'God. To the highest bidder, natch.

Might Drill Baby Drill in every square mile of every national park, hell, maybe a personal sized derrick in everybody's back yard, too, even though every drop of oil in America won't make a 5% difference in yearly supply.

There will be a huge "fair tax" reform that of course will simply tax everyone, no more of this "half the population doesn't pay taxes". Which could actually make a dent in the national debt, but it won't be spent for that. Of course, it will flipflop in that the elite 10% will pay no tax to speak of at all, like the good old days.

Congress will still spend like drunken sailors in port, pork barrel projects will make the current stimulus bucks look like chump change, but as long as Congressional salaries, kickbacks, and insider "investment" knowledge keeps them well above the hoi polloi, everything will be jake.

Actually, it likely that little of all this will get done, since most of the time spent on The Hill will be in undoing the previous administration's programs, with nothing of substance in replacement or improvement.

The Dems simply lie in political escrow, well taken care of in various underling federal and state positions, think tanks, foundations, corporate boards and the like, until the tide turns, while enough voters die and are replaced by new disgruntled voters coming of age, so that the entire fiasco perpetuates itself.

The only monkey wrench in this whole flimflam that has worked well for so long, is that though most every generation has had its doomsayers, we possibly really ARE going to see a societal breakdown that may well be unprecedented in its intensity and magnitude.

Even a meltdown of Biblical proportions might be better in the long run than the slow Orwellian degradation in national ethos and quality of individual life that is certain to be the alternative, now that we have hit critical mass in the population vs resource seesaw, with no altruistically visionary help in sight from a corrupt and self-serving Parliament of Whores.

- Oh "feeling really optimistic tonight" Shoot

[Guest 6.8 AR]

You may be right, OS, and I feel for your sarcasm, tonight. After all it may happen that way, but due diligence never hurt anyone's position unless they didn't do it.

BTW Starting with your third paragraph, I tend to agree with your assessment. If the GOP gains control of both house and senate, it will at least stop the funding of Obamacare. It's hard to say about the rest.

[mikegideon]

You may be right, OS, and I feel for your sarcasm, tonight. After all it may happen that way, but due diligence never hurt anyone's position unless they didn't do it.

BTW Starting with your third paragraph, I tend to agree with your assessment. If the GOP gains control of both house and senate, it will at least stop the funding of Obamacare. It's hard to say about the rest.

The only thing you may get to pick is the type of screwing you're gonna get. The depth and girth is gonna be the same, because money controls this country, not the baby kissers. So many on this board believe that if the GOP just gets back into power, it will all turn around. Where did things go when they had "control"? Same direction.