Special Report
The Democrats’ Cap and Traitors
It’s not just Republicans who oppose the Obama administration’s preferred climate change policy.
“The Republicans are right, this is a cap-and-tax bill,” said former Sen. Timothy Wirth, criticizing the Waxman-Markey climate change bill in an interview with Bloomberg News last month. “That’s what it is because they are raising revenue to do all sorts of things, especially to take care of the coal industry, and it makes no sense.”
Although all the focus has been on the difficulties facing health care reform, the Obama administration-supported Waxman-Markey bill may be in even deeper trouble. Republicans have consistently blasted it as a national energy tax, but it is divisions among Democrats that may doom the legislation in the Senate.
Wirth, for example, is no right-wing Republican. He served six terms as a Democrat in the House and one in the Senate, holding the Colorado seat once occupied by Gary Hart. As undersecretary for global affairs in the State Department, he was one of the Clinton administration’s leading climate change negotiators. Wirth currently runs the UN Foundation, a philanthropic group funded with seed money from liberal media mogul Ted Turner.
Fully 44 House Democrats voted against Waxman-Markey when it narrowly passed the House in June, including Rep. John Salazar (D-Colo.), the brother of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Many of these legislators hailed from relatively conservative districts. According to an analysis by National Journal’s Ronald Brownstein, 59 percent of Democrats representing districts carried by John McCain in the 2008 presidential election defied both President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by voting no.
That explains some of the Democratic opposition in the Senate, where about 15 Democrats are not doing Harry Reid’s bidding. Last month, several Democrats called for a narrower bill that junks cap and trade entirely while focusing on renewable energy instead. “The problem of doing both of them together is that it becomes too big of a lift,” Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) told reporters in August. “I see the cap-and-trade being a real problem.”
But some Democrats are balking for reasons other than fear of alienating conservative voters by supporting a broad-based energy tax increase. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) is considered one of the most progressive members of Congress’s upper chamber. He doesn’t sound too impressed by Waxman-Markey.
Speaking to a “listening session” in Wisconsin, Feingold cited cap and trade as one of the reasons he “is the Democrat who has least voted with President Obama.” A local newspaper quoted him saying of cap and trade, “You know, the other countries won’t play ball… They cannot be given a free pass, and we cannot do cap-and-trade alone.”
These sentiments were echoed by the energy policy director of the Ralph Nader-affiliated advocacy group Public Citizen. “We don’t want to go forward with strong carbon regulations here and see China and India have no regulations,” Tyson Slocum told a Wyoming newspaper.
Democrats like Wirth would like to see a bill focused entirely on coal-fired power plants rather than a general cap on carbon pollution. “I’m not critical of cap-and-trade,” he told Bloomberg News. “But it has to be used in a targeted and disciplined way, and what has happened is it’s getting out of control.”
Yet that compromise wouldn’t win the vote of Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), who is already on record arguing that cap and trade could hurt his coalmining state. He has pressed for “short-term economic assistance” for the coal industry and, like Feingold, tariffs on goods from countries that don’t similarly limit carbon emissions.
Other liberal outfits, like the Center for Biological Diversity, want the bill beefed up in the Senate rather than watered down. But even they have signed on to letters requesting a more transparent process for determining the value of carbon credits.
All of these Democratic divisions come on the heels of polling that shows more intensity among opponents of Waxman-Markey than supporters. While Rasmussen Reports found only 35 percent could correctly identify the cap and trade scheme, the plan is vulnerable to charges — which even supporters concede in the short term — that it will raise energy costs for ordinary Americans.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, an Obama ally, agrees. “Anything you put in that effectively taxes carbon emissions is — somebody’s going to bear the brunt of it,” Buffett said in a March interview with CNBC. He went on to say “that tax is probably going to be pretty regressive.” Regressive taxes tend not to sell well, even among core Democratic constituencies.
Like the health care debate, this discussion has tended to be covered as a Republican versus Democrat conflict. But the reality is the Democrats have the votes in Congress to pass almost whatever they want with little or no Republican support. The real story is a conflict that pits Democrat against Democrat.
About the Author
W. James Antle, III, author of the new book Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?, is editor of the Daily Caller News Foundation and a senior editor of The American Spectator. You can follow him on Twitter @jimantle.
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Dave Lincoln| 9.1.09 @ 6:58AM
Like a stopped clock once a day*, Senator Feingold spoke the truth, but not due to any clue on his part:
"You know, the other countries won't play ball... They cannot be given a free pass, and we cannot do cap-and-trade alone."
No, they won't play ball. I would not either if I were in any position of power in any country. This has to do with the fact that "climate change", aka "global warming" is one of the biggest hoaxes every perpetrated on the silly citizens of western countries. This hoax makes Bernie Madoff look like a piker. Mr. Ponzi, the founders of "social security", Amway, and would-be scammers all over the world are turning green with envy.
People in developing countries like India and China, many who still have to worry a lot about getting enough food for the day, a roof overhead, and a decent job have neither the time nor inclination for this stupidity.
So, it's not really about "playing ball". It's more like "just because little Billy is going to jump off the Bay Bridge doesn't mean you should, little Zhou". Mr. Feingold and others will find out that the rest of the world's politicians have not reached "peak stupidity"**, as has happened in the US.
* Mine's on military time.
** Another looming crisis that we should pass legislation against.
Tim| 9.1.09 @ 9:41AM
"Peak stupidity" Ha!
Obama is creating "green stupidity" jobs to alleviate that crisis.
Ken Silverstein| 9.1.09 @ 10:29AM
When Even Silence Is a Lie
All the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting. -- George Orwell
From Ken Silverstein:
Michael L. Hauschild| 9.1.09 @ 11:30AM
Great article. Concise and enlightening, the rational is well documented.
Marc Jeric| 9.1.09 @ 11:58AM
1) There was first in the 1970's the global cooling scam (see e.g. Newsweek April 28 1975 on the Internet); the government-paid scientists (90% of them are rejects of private enterprise) recommended to fight the new ice age by sending our war planes to cover the polar ice with soot in order to increase solar heat and so prevent crushing of New York skyscrapers by the new glaciers;
2) When that did not work we had the global warming hoax in the 1990's, proclaimed by mainly the same government-paid scientists (Dr. Hansen of the NOAA, for example); to prevent the massive heating, fires, flooding of coastal cities, disappearance of Florida, California, and Caribbean islands, massive hurricanes, global famine, and other catastrophic events we should nationalize oil and gas and coal and electricity companies;
3) after 11 years of considerable cooling we are now faced with the climate change flimflam where whatever happens with our climate we should nationalize oil and gas and coal and electricity companies; and why not our banks, car and insurance companies while we are at it. To prevent this catastrophe the best vehicle presumably is international agreements enforced by the United Nations world government.
As for the influence of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas: on a normal day the atmosphere contains 10,000 ppm (parts per million) of water vapor and about 300 ppm of carbon dioxide. The government-paid scientists say that an increase of 100 ppm of CO2 over the next 50 years will result in a catastrophic warming. The thermal absorptivity of water vapor is 4 times larger than that of carbon dioxide; it follows that the CO2 increase will increase the overall thermal absorptivity of the mixture by about 1/4 of one percent. The production of methane from livestock flatulence and the rotting swamps (called "wetlands" by the environmentalists) vastly surpasses the influence of human-produced CO2.
There is the Global Warming Petition Project (see Internet) where 31,478 US independent scientists declared that there is no anthropogenic (human-caused) global warming; of these 9,029 are scientists with PhD degrees. Our environmentalists tried to sabotage this effort by submiiting phony names with phoney degrees - and then claimed the whole effort by the Petition scientists was a fraud. It took us 3 years and a lot of private money to verify the credentials of all the signatories and clean up the Petition of those saboteurs. See also Manhattan Declaration with more such signatories, plus a large number of scientific groups from other countries who state the same.
I am one of these signatories, MS and PhD degrees from UCLA, with majors in thermodynamics and heat & mass transfer.
I think to fight this communist attempt to secure a permanent hold on power should not be fought on the narrow grounds of more taxes - that is the losing proposition; where about 50% of the population is on some kind of welfare we will always be outvoted. The battle should be fought and won on the firm scientific basis.
4) And now we have "cap™" power grab.
SCAM - HOAX - FLIMFLAM - POWER GRAB!!!
Oldefarte| 9.1.09 @ 12:37PM
This CAP & TAX bill is nothing but WELFARE. As Obama told Joe, it's all about WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION!!!!!!!!!!!
Big J| 9.1.09 @ 1:42PM
If AmSpec can't stop these antisemitic rants before they show up, could you at least delete them shortly after they arrive?
This is getting ridiculous.
Obama Tax the RICH 2% getem| 9.1.09 @ 1:56PM
Obama needs to Tax the Rich, in order to win the next election. The Rich only make up 2% of the population, its the best idea out there, after all how did they get rich stealing from the poor.
Tax them Obama| 9.1.09 @ 2:03PM
Obama is creating jobs, green jobs, printing the green back at the FED. Ah ah ah ah!
More worthless bits of News paper with the perimid on it after all it's a PONZI scheme. Invented by theives for fools.
Louis Jenkins| 9.1.09 @ 2:32PM
"We don't want to go forward with strong carbon regulations here and see China an India have no regulations," Tyson Slocum told a Wyoming newspaper.
Oh why not?? The elitist in our society will not have to worry about cap and trade, or carbon taxes. The backs of the middle class will bear this burden. At least China and India have enough sense not to enact such regulations, but our government will tax anything and everything. Even another tax. Wirth, et al, will have no compunction falling in line with their party leaders when their leash is pulled.
Carbon Tax, stop breathing| 9.1.09 @ 3:04PM
50-year-old man dies of swine flu
Published: 09.01.09, 16:02 / Israel News
A 50-year-old Man, hospitalized at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, died Tuesday of apparent H1N1 virus complications.
The man reportedly suffered from various health problems. The Health Ministry said that although the cause of death has yet to be ascertained, his death is considered to be swine flu-related. (Yael Branovsky)
crookedwren| 9.1.09 @ 7:24PM
Love Spectator articles and enjoy postings and comments such as Dave Lincoln's. Wish others would stay on topic!
Pingback| 9.1.09 @ 8:23PM
The Texas Patriot » Blog Archive » The Democrats’ Cap and Traitors links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Steve P| 9.2.09 @ 1:23AM
I heard on, of all paces, PBS, that the slashing and burning of the rainforests realeases more CO@ than all off the vehicals and power plant in the word. Perhaps that would be a good place to start.
airjordanpremium | 9.2.09 @ 1:28AM
I do agree that this discussion has tended to be covered as a Republican versus Democrat conflict. But the reality is the Democrats have the votes in Congress to pass almost whatever they want with little or no Republican support. The real story is a conflict that pits Democrat against Democrat.
Dave Lincoln| 9.2.09 @ 7:54AM
airjordanpremiums: Pretty erudite post for an on-line shoe salesman. Ya sold me; what do you got in size 9, fully bootleg, Chinese made, fake leather, pumps? They need to be real sexy, too.
Debbie| 9.2.09 @ 9:50AM
I used to think that the politicians were just plain stupid to be pushing measures like cap & trade to fight "global warming" (which has now often been renamed, "climate change" since the earth has been cooling for 11 straight years). I now think the political goals are much more sinister. I really don't understand the process at all, but I have read that carbon trading involves untold billions of dollars (or perhaps yen in the near future) of profit for certain huge banks worldwide. This cap and trade bill might cripple our country, but certain shrewd politians will get their big $ out of the deal.
If any one has more information about this topic, I'd love if you would e-mail me some internet sites so I can become more informed.
Charlie| 9.2.09 @ 2:38PM
Well, unfortunately for most of us, the brainwashed enviro-terrorists' poster boy 'Al Gore' , is leading the charge and saving the world. Actually he's sitting good to reap huge profit's. Greed? Oh-I don't know....as one congress woman asked old Al when he was speaking at some oversite committee boasting 'The world is dying' ...."You've seemed to have made allot of money lately speaking around the country about global warming". Al spanked her by saying: "You have a problem with that?"
Betty| 9.2.09 @ 3:44PM
Cap and Trade will cost American Citizens millions of jobs and increases in energy and gasoline bills. Make your voice heard at http://tinyurl.com/klfut8.
˚Kari McCormick| 9.3.09 @ 12:57AM
Excellent post by Marc Jeric. Right on the money. We are definitely at war with the "enemy within."
Pingback| 9.8.09 @ 2:28PM
Cooler Heads Digest 3 September 2009 | GlobalWarming.org links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Greg Zotta| 9.11.09 @ 2:35AM
Cap and Trade (Tax)
Obama campaigned on the platform of “Hope and Change” throughout his race for the presidency. I stated if he gets elected all we will have left is change. At the rate Obama and the Democrats are going we will not even have the change left.
The House of Representatives just passed the Cap and Trade (i.e. Cap and Tax) bill because of the Hoax of global warming. This law will cause our energy prices to rise and make it more difficult for you to sell your home among other things. Obama stated under cap and trade he will bankrupt the coal industry and energy costs will necessarily skyrocket. Under a cap and trade system, government sets a cap on the total amount of carbon that can be emitted nationally; companies (like Goldman Sachs) then buy or sell permits to emit CO2. The cap then gets cranked down over time to reduce total carbon emissions, increasing costs. Remember ENRON? That was a company that traded in CO2 offsets.
This was another bill that was voted on by our Congressman without being read. Is it too much to ask our politicians to at least read the bills before they vote on them? What happened to Obama’s promise of “transparency,” and the bills being on the government’s website for five days for the citizens to review?
Immigration reform (amnesty) and healthcare (Nationalized Medicine) are also on the table. Obama and the Democrats are on the fast track towards Socialism, and that is why they are trying to rush these bills through before the public realizes the harm it will cause this country. What they are doing is not in the best interest of this country, it is about “control.” If they pass these things we will have to endure the results until the 2010 and 2012 elections, when we can get a chance to fire them, and roll these laws back.
Greg Zotta
Joe Ryan | 9.21.09 @ 6:14PM
Debbie. Deals have been made for years in advance of the passage of the carbon tax. The 'tax' basically gets delivered to those holding carbon credits. So for the past few years Goldman Sachs has been creating hedge funds that use borrowed money to go around the world buying up the 'rights' to the carbon credits from forests in Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. To the so-called leaders of those countries, selling the barbon rights to forests is transparent because the people of the country never lose any rights to the forest, they just give up imaginary 'carbon rights' to the forest. So, in their mind, they are giving up almost nothing, in return for a big stack of cash (freshly minted at the fed) right now. If cap-n-trade doesn't get passed, they will stick us for all the money they've spent the last few years buying up carbon rights from despots all over the world. Do you think they'll actually be willing to take a loss on that? So we're screwed whether the bill is passed or not. Of course we'll be screwed a lot worse if it does pass. If you wanted to control people from cradle to grave wouldn't your two biggest legislative agenda items revolve around cap-n-trade and universal health care with the government fining families 3800 if they won't buy semi-useless insurance. By the way, O'Bama does not lie; illegals don't need to be covered or won't be subjected to the fines, they'll just keep getting free health care at the emergency room or wherever. We aren't barbarians yet, so we will cover them. They'll just get a free pass on the penalty part. Nice.
Pingback| 10.2.09 @ 8:11AM
Kerry’d Away on Cap and Trade | America Watches Obama links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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