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Eminentoes
Our Hero Barbara Boxer
The junior Democratic senator from California has killed two major global warming bills -- so far.
We've spent a lot of time and, well, energy warning against costly carbon controls, yet we must admit the fruits of our earnest labors pale in comparison to those of Senator Barbara Boxer. That's odd because Boxer is an avowed environmentalist and chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Her honest job description might be, "To pass the most annoying, burdensome legislation possible."
However, it's hard to argue with the lady's results. Her resolute leadership has torpedoed two major climate bills -- so far. While we continue to disagree with Boxer vehemently, her record of unmitigated failure is a "platform" around which we can rally.
Democratic challenger and popular blogger Mickey Kaus tried to make an issue of her ineffectiveness in the run-up to today's primary. He invited her to a debate on May 25, which she refused to attend. Kaus had a cardboard box stand in for her on the podium. With the aid of some audio clips, he debated the box. One of the audio clips was of Boxer flipping out when a member of the U.S. military referred to her as "ma'am." The most effective dig was yet to come after the debate, on Kaus's campaign website: "The box gave an honest answer when asked to list Sen. Boxer's major legislative accomplishments."
Boxer's bungling of global warming legislation has been impressive. If we had decided to plant a mole in the Democratic Party to scuttle the legislation, we're honestly not sure we could have done any better. In late 2007, for example, soon-to-retire Senator John Warner, a powerful Republican representing Virginia, lent bipartisan cover to a major cap-and-trade energy rationing scheme he co-authored with Joseph Lieberman. After passing through committee that December, the Warner-Lieberman climate legislation had the big mo, and gave us a big headache.
Then Boxer got hold of it. Over the next six months, she changed it, adding hundreds of pages. By the time she unveiled her version of the bill, the topic had become stale. The legislation fizzled and the defeat was embarrassingly bipartisan. Cap-and-trade is a Democratic Party platform plank, but ten senators from Boxer's own party sent her a letter explaining that they could not vote for her bill.
June 29, 2009 left the high water mark for climate change policy. On that day, the House of Representatives enacted a cap-and-trade scheme, the Orwellian-titled American Climate and Energy Security Act. It was the first time the Congress had put a price on carbon, a.k.a. taxed energy. Environmentalists were thrilled, and we were dismayed.
We needn't have feared, because Boxer released the companion bill in the Senate. She outraged Republicans on her committee by refusing to deliberate the bill. In particular, she barred any economic analysis. Republicans boycotted, thereby denying Boxer a quorum for a vote. She found a procedural loophole, and passed it out anyway. Her Democratic colleagues in the Senate were put off by Boxer's partisan pique. The legislation was immediately shelved and now John Kerry is trying to put together a new bill, without the aid of Boxer.
Boxer's political kiss of death no doubt arises from her peculiar notions of how climate policy works. In an October 2009 interview with C-Span, she praised a recent, precipitous drop in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Now, she was right about that. Emissions had fallen. But regulation had next to nothing to do with it. The drop was caused by an economic recession. Inadvertently, Boxer praised economic stagnation and undercut the Obama administration's entire rationale for green jobs. She affirmed a causal connection between greenhouse gas emissions reductions and decreased economic growth.
On energy and climate policy, we could not be further from the positions staked out by Boxer. And that's why we find it so heartening that she looks set to sail through her party's Potemkin nomination process. As long as she is in charge of climate policy, we can all breathe a little easier.
About the Author
Jeremy Lott is editor of RealClearBooks.com and RealClearReligion.org and associate editor of RealClearScience.com.
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Jeff Lee| 6.8.10 @ 7:12AM
As the LA Times noted, Boxer is too stupid for the Senate. Sadly, her constituents are too stupid to notice.
R Martin| 6.8.10 @ 7:55AM
Since when did mental acuity become a prerequisite for holding legislative office? Or, for that matter, to vote.
Dixie Pixie| 6.8.10 @ 11:58AM
Greetings R. Martin and Jeff Lee
A even better question is when is sanity a prerequisite for high public office.
Consider this, if all personal applying for a governmental position had to pass a sanity test how many could pass the test.
Also consider a Ivy League education is a fundamental part of the vetting process for high level governmental office.
In short what is considered sanity in the Ivy League University is the standard criteria on which a potential governmental official is judged and vetted.
Howard| 6.8.10 @ 9:09PM
As was said earlier in this site: "Requiem for a Lightweight" Enough said!
Bram| 6.8.10 @ 7:59AM
I saw Boxer debate back in 1994 - when I was living in LA and she was running for the first time and had to debate. I could not believe an individual that stupid was running for the U.S. Senate and winning.
Chairman Nobomba | 6.8.10 @ 3:58PM
Mr. Bram,
You better believe it. After all, the entire California honchos from Gov to dog catchers are liberals (ie Demos). Can you conclude all the folks in Cal are dumber than Bar Box? Alas we conservatives have no representation.
Neil Mahony| 6.11.10 @ 6:13PM
You couldn't have put it better. They're either liberals or illegals!
Occam's Tool| 6.8.10 @ 6:18PM
Answer: It's Cali.
Christopher Holland| 6.8.10 @ 11:00PM
It isn't called la la land for nothing. Boxer is just the person you would expect to be elected in a state called la la land.
Bram| 6.9.10 @ 12:02PM
One of many reasons I fled CA as soon as I was done with school.
LeChat| 6.8.10 @ 8:15AM
Barbara Boxer sets the standard for "stupid". Years back, after a few appearances on television news shows, she abruptly went off the radar. I thought at the time that her handlers told her to cool it.
There is one thing more stupid than Barbara Boxer: the people who vote for her.
Call Me General | 6.8.10 @ 8:44AM
Senatorette Boxer, just keep talking! The more you talk, the better we look. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to Brooks Brothers.
Apochalypsenew| 6.8.10 @ 8:57AM
If the radical left retains control of the Congress, I predict there will be an America remade into a Stalinist planned economy. We will be told where, when and what we will do for work and clearly how much we can make. Of course, there will be exceptions to this forced labor for rich, radical politicians, their union stooges, and of course, the glitteratti.
Since the drudgery of the days, no advancement (except for Party members) and "voluntary" environmental cleanups on the weekends. There will be no need for a multitude of print media or television networks. The newspaper will be The Shining Path and the TV station will be Correct Thinking for America. Since Sundays will be devoted to "good works" for our cities and towns Churches will necessarily be closed. Of course, one would be free to go to Church, but the penalty for missing "Good Works Sunday" is forfeiture of all you own; a long tenure in a "Corrective Hostel" where your thinking would be corrected via a combination of slave labor, starvation and floggings.
I for one can't wait! Since I can't go to Cuba, I can have the same thing right here!
Scott| 6.9.10 @ 12:43PM
When are people going to get bored with writing this same crap over and over again?
hardcard| 6.8.10 @ 9:18AM
True but babs b. has a better nip/tuck than n. pelosi she must have had many tune-ups!!! Is j.rivers running for something??
AMENBRO| 6.8.10 @ 10:01AM
Thank GOD for his tender mercies YAWL.
Jenny Johnston| 6.8.10 @ 10:54AM
Washington state's own "mom in tennis shoes" Sen. Patty Murray challenges Sen. Boxer for the title of dumbest senator.
MomInLatteland| 6.8.10 @ 11:37AM
Yes, Patty Murray is neck in neck with Boxer for embarrassment. There is hope here in the PNW... polling shows that recently announced GOP candidate Dino Rossi is ahead of Murray in the polls... would like to see Chuck DeVore get the GOP nod in California but it looks like bobble head Fiorina will challenge Babs.
John W.| 6.8.10 @ 11:55AM
I disagree with you people about stupidest Senator. I think it's Debbie Stabenow (D., Alternate Reality). Deb is so dumb she thinks her but is a climate sensor. (Yes. Literally.)
Occam's Tool| 6.8.10 @ 6:20PM
We in Minnesota have a professional Comedian as Senator.
chester arthur| 6.8.10 @ 9:44PM
And Al Franken,professional loser.
Christopher Holland| 6.8.10 @ 11:02PM
If he is a comedian, how come nobody is laughing?
Stephanie| 6.8.10 @ 12:07PM
After seeing Boxer telling that general to call her Senator instead of Mamn, I am convinced she is nothing more than a disrespectful bitch.
Bram| 6.8.10 @ 12:26PM
"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
Oldefarte| 6.8.10 @ 12:59PM
It is due to/because of congressional representatives such as Boxer that this country is so dependent upon FOREIGN/ENEMY oil for its economically necessary energy needs. These liberal MORONS have crawled into [political] bed with the environmental wackos, preventing oil companies from completely developing/producing the abundance of oil reserves [mainly offshore our coastlines] available. This has resulted in these oil companies partnering [out of necessity] with middle eastern [and Russia] in order to drill and produce oil/energy. America [and all developed countries] depend upon an adequate supply of oil/energy for their economic existence [ie to run factories, utilities, transportation modes, produce electricity, etc]. These imbiciles have partially ruined/destroyed this country by their idiotic adoration to all things environmental [and to the exclusion of economy], and due to their insanity, the prices that we pay for products/services is no doubt 50% plus higher than it would be without their numnuts environmental laws/regulations. So next time you fill up your automobile's gas tank with soon-to-be $5/gallon gasoline [or pay your $300/month electricity bill], you can think the Barbara Boxers of this world for same!!!!
Ret. Marine| 6.8.10 @ 8:10PM
Hey oldfart if you haven't figured out by now why this is, well you need to do some more research. Fact of the matter is years ago the honcho's, one world order honcho's, decieded to run the wealth out of this country to give it to others to bring them up to some resemblence above poverty. This is one reason why the jobs have been evacuated from our shores, the other has to do with the cheap wages of these turd world country's. Even at their current levels they still live better than they did just a short fifty years ago. Now if anyone disputes this theory, say so, but, I doubt it can be discharged from it's intents.
voted against carter| 6.8.10 @ 3:27PM
The law of "unintended consequences". LOL!!
quicksand| 6.8.10 @ 4:41PM
Thanks for the picture of the loveley Barb. Is it my imagination or is she beginning to look like the other Barb - Stresiand?
Boxer is so thick-haded whatshe was really asking the General was , "Would you violate military protocol and stop calling me ma'm? You are dealing with big-time insecurity here - I need to hear "Senator", every five seconds in order to maintain my delusions of adequacy here."
Tonight we will know if Oafbama has influence beyond Pacific Heights and Hollywood in CA.
CJohnson| 6.9.10 @ 12:12AM
Boxer and Guam sinking
Lou Manati| 6.9.10 @ 1:56AM
IslamObamaRamadan is a Muslim
Scott| 6.9.10 @ 12:45PM
Climate change is real. And Boxer is a real idiot as well. They aren't mutually exclusive.
Jack| 6.9.10 @ 2:20PM
Climate change is as real as gravity. We must stop all water from flowing down to the ocean because if we don't it will fill up and we will all drown. It is a natural occurence and statistically impossible to prove otherwise.
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