Kerry, Graham & Lieberman Launch Climate Change Framework
Yesterday, when Republicans on the Senate Environment and Publics Works Committee boycotted a mark up of Senators Barbara Boxer and John Kerry's climate change bill, things looked bleak for getting a bipartisan measure to the Senate floor. The atmosphere poisoned even the most eager Republican for a climate change bill, retiring Ohio Senator George Voinovich. “What I'm doing today is I'm pleading to you and to the chairman, as a matter of the golden rule or the second great commandment, or just -- just decency," [Voinovich] said, his voice breaking. "This is not something on my part that I'm trying to con you out of… I think we can get something done. I'm asking Madam Chairman and I'm asking this committee: Give us some time."
The Republicans on the committee want to wait for the EPA to finish a full analysis of the bill – a process that could take more than a month. That's too much time for Dems, who are pushing to get something drafted before the December United Nations climate change talks in Copenhagen.
The EPW Committee is one of the most ideologically polarized on the Hill. Boxer, of California, is a devoted environmentalist. Whereas the committee's top Republican, Oklahoma's Jim Inhofe, once gave me one of my favorite quotes of my career about six years ago: “Global warming is the second largest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people, the first being the separation of church and state.”
Today Senators John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham called a press conference to announce they're working on a “parallel track” with the blessing of Boxer and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to construct a framework that can garner 60 votes to pass the Senate.The three represent more of the middle ground in the debate than Boxer or Inhofe. “We will be working very closely with the White House over the next couple weeks with a view of trying top pull together ultimately to Senator Reid and the leadership a piece of legislation that can pass with 60 votes, hopefully more,” Kerry told reporters.
The framework would encompass a cap and trade program and would include some provisions important to Republicans left out of the Kerry/Boxer bill – such as a measure strengthening nuclear power in America. “At the end of the day, for us to be successful the energy independence piece – off shore drilling for oil and gas has to be done in a meaningful way to add to our inventory and create jobs,” Graham said. “The nuclear piece has to create a renaissance of nuclear power that will help solve the climate problem as well as create millions of new jobs. The clean coal piece has to be meaningful because we ave 250 years of coal supplies and we want to use it in an environmentally sensible way but the pollution controls have to be meaningful… At the end of the day we have to produce a product that is meaningful in all areas.”
Having twittered that the trio are “drafting” legislation, I received a call from Kerry's office. Apparently, creating a framework based off the six versions passed by the relevant committees of jurisdiction and deciding what can and cannot pass with 60 votes (even after I directly asked Kerry in today's press conference if this will form the basis of the final bill on the floor and he said, “Yes, it will”) does not construe “drafting” legislation. So, let's think of Kerry, Graham and Lieberman as Reid's very own climate czars: they will whittle down ideas and take him their final recommendations.
The move bolsters the chances that some climate change legislation will make it to the Senate floor. Though any timeline is still complicated by the eternally delayed process of health care reform. After all, the 2010 elections are rapidly approaching and the odds of passing a massive climate change bill grow dimmer as every month ticks by. To that end, rumors yesterday swirled on the Hill that the bill may get shunted till after the 2010 midterm elections. “Yes, I've heard that,” Senator Jay Rockefeller told reporters. “And the idea makes me sad.”
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Kerry to Lieberman: "Thank you, sir. May I have another?"
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1.1
But it's not just McCain's flunky Joe Lieberman, it's his other flunky Lindsey Graham. Together, they are twice as awesome, and bipartisan.
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As Charlie Brown Democrat come up to kick the football that Lucy Republican has promised to hold the country can guess what happens next.
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2.1
brilliantly put. I have a feeling i've seen this movie before. And i sincerely don't know what makes lindsey graham more moderate or less palatable to repub pressure than charles grassley. He clearly is less popular than grassley was when grassley started health care, and doesn't have the crossover appeal grassley had for a couple of dems and independents. He doesn't come from a dem state like snowe. Actually, he comes from an extremely conservative state. He doesn't believe in climate change anymore than john mccain. Matter of fact, he was a supporter of 'drill, baby, til we grill'.
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if anything, it may just be a decision to raise the profile of the legislation so it's loss bring major repercussions for dems rather than it going down quietly.
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Layoffs have begun at Time Inc. Approximately 15 to 20 sales and marketing employees were dismissed from Time Inc.'s news group tonight, largely from Sports Illustrated, according to a Time Inc. executive who asked not to be named as the company had not given authorization to discuss the matter.
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Deeper layoffs are expected to be announced tomorrow, when Time Inc. is expected to confirm the elimination of $100 million in costs, mostly from staff cuts.
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The executive estimated the total number of layoffs as being between 400 and 500 people. The largest percentage of layoffs are expected to come from the news division, which includes Time, Fortune and Sports Illustrated, this executive said.
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In meetings scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10, staff members at Time Inc. are expected to get more information from executives about layoffs. Each division of Time Inc. will be responsible for a certain number of layoffs. The divisions include Style and Entertainment, which oversees People and InStyle; Lifestyle, which includes Real Simple and Cooking Light; and News.
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Some employees at Time, People, Fortune, Fortune Small Business, Sports Illustrated and Money are covered by contracts with the Newspaper Guild. In those cases, the company will ask for volunteers for buyouts, the executive said.
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http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/time-inc-layoffs-begin-at-sports-illustrated/-
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"In meetings scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10, staff members at Time Inc. are expected to get more information from executives about layoffs."
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That story is from last night. I wonder what this morning's meeting brought.
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Time's historic rival, taking a page from its parent paper, has chosen a different – and more ethically problematic – route.
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Here's a link. -
3.3
Yikes! Calling that "ethically problematic" is like calling prostitution "a frank exchange of ideas." !
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From FlownOver's link-
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Block added that Newsweek has hosted 5 such events with API, and said there are "very strict church and state policies that have to be followed."
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See? Nothing to worry about. -
3.5
Gunny - thanks for posting this. It's sad, on a variety of levels. For all the grousing about the MSM here, the quality of news isn't going to improve with this.
Hope KT or Jay will fill us in.
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But one way that you can prevent bankruptcy is to have your journalist report on the truth, and stop simply regurgitating the liberal party talking points.
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Once TIME and other magazines, newspaper and news media return to real reporting, then I think they will see a return of the people supporting their various wares.
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TIME to step up.
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TIME to report the truth.
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TIME to go back to asking the real tough questions of our political representatives instead of treating them like the "Messiah".
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TIME to change or TIME to go bankrupt.
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Because when these guys get together in a room, legislative magic just happens.
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As the health care reform process has so clearly demonstrated, whatever bill survives a Senate committee markup will surely address the needs and wishes of the American people, and move decisively to solve hitherto intractable problems our desperate people face.
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Yes we can!
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Change we can believe in!
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Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooo,Senate Democrats! -
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Gunny, thanks for that. Most shocking to me is how SI has survived this long in the age of ESPN...
And SZ, where's the sunshine buddy!?
All the energy in the room has been focused on HCR. But no worries, these visionary statesmen, the earth's stewards if you will (puke) have been doing this fine work while we've been distracted.
They tellin' you to never worry about the torture
They tellin you that you'll never see the horror
Spend it all today and we will bill you tomorrow
Three piece suits and bank accounts in Bahamas
Wall street crime will never send you to the slammer
Tell all the children in the arms of their mommas
The F-15 is a homicide bomberMichael Franti
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5.1
"Call me Snake..."
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5.2
No, SZ, "You're the Duke! You're the Duke!"
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Speaking of crazy arse presidents, the other night after a long day of work, I'm kicked back on the barcalounger (built for people 1/2 my size), pint in hand, in the bosom of my family, ready to watch the Japan Series, and who pops up on my television in exile!? George Motherf@cking Bush Jr. is on my tv in J-town, to throw out the first pitch.
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I'm telling you, there.is.no.escape!
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Climate change is a truly bipartisan issue that will affect everyone's children and grand-children, regardless of political affiliation.
Also the steps we need to take are fairly clear (at least in broad outline) and could boost domestic jobs and could help national security.
Therefore, don't expect any meaningful action from Congress.
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…particularly if Sen. Benedict Lieberman ($-CT) is involved.
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$-Israel?
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[...] Kerry, Graham & Lieberman Launch Climate Change Framework … [...]
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IF Senate Democrats did have any viable legislation to propose on most anything, then perhaps they could get some bipartisian support.
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However the proposals coming forth from the Democrat controlled Congress is simply fairytales and lies.
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http://newsbusters.org/node/6231
."Pardon the pun, but the concept of global warming came under some more heat today from the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT, Richard S. Lindzen. Some of you might be familiar with the name Lindzen. He has been a strong antagonist to global warmingists – especially Al Gore – and wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal back in April wherein he not only contested media assertions that the Bush administration has been putting pressure on scientists to oppose climate change principles, but avowed that exactly the opposite is the case: “Scientists who dissent from the alarmism have seen their grant funds disappear, their work derided, and themselves libeled as industry stooges, scientific hacks or worse."
Well, Lindzen wrote another WSJ op-ed published on Sunday entitled “Don't Believe the Hype,” with a subheading – “Al Gore is wrong. There's no ‘consensus' on global warming.” This one further attacked the junk science involved in this theory, as well as the preposterous claim being made by Al Gore that there is actually a consensus in the scientific community about the issue:.”
http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/
November 2, 2009: "We have no chance of stopping climate change" - letter to the editor by Dr. Tim Ball, environmental consultant, ICSC Science Advisory Board member and past climatology professor at the Univerity of Winnipeg, Canada. The Ottawa Citizen, Canada.
"... we have absolutely no chance of stopping climate change. It has always happened and always will so we also need to continue to research the causes of climate variations to better predict what will happen in the future to assist with adaptation efforts."
“Carbon dioxide is part of a very complicated feedback system,” Wunsch said Monday. “Assertions that you can show that carbon dioxide change led, or lagged, temperature change proves that there is, or is not, a human component is absolute nonsense. It's much more complicated than that.”
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It IS all just a figment of Al Gore's imagination just as Al Gore also laid claim to 'creating the interenet', or there is a major conspiracy at MIT.
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What liberals will not do, unbelieveable.-
8.1
So here is a genuine question: Why do you single out Lindzen's views as more accurate, or more likely to be right, than the views of hundreds of other climate scientists?
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It seems to me a climate change skeptic could take two approaches to this.
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One could simply deny that scientists know anything about anything. (The young-earth creationists take this approach. They may be right, if all of modern geology, biology, and astronomy is totally wrong.)
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Or, you can engage the science, in which case you need some criteria for weighing various scientific conclusions -- either you are familiar with the work and believe (independently) that Lindzen's views are right, or you have reason to believe that Lindzen is a better researcher than most of the rest of his profession.Does the money he gets from big oil make him appear more trustworthy?
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Out of the mouths of babes and rusties:
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"It IS all just a figment of Al Gore's imagination just as Al Gore also laid claim to 'creating the interenet'[sic]"
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This is entirely true. That is, both statements are "just as" true. Al Gore never claimed to have invented the Internet, despite endless evidence-free claims to the contrary by his political opponents. And anthropogenic global warming is not a figment of anyone's imagination, but the consensus of the relevant scientific community. (Hint: "consensus" doesn't mean "absolute unanimity". Politically, 80% agreement is good enough. In science, we tend to require something more like the 99% agreement that actually pertains among climate scientists today on climate change.)
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Thank you for concurring that both these falsehoods of yours are equally grounded in non-fact. -
8.3
Rustydog:
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just as Al Gore also laid claim to 'creating the interenet'
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No, he didn't. That's a lie. -
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"Why do you single out Lindzen's views as more accurate, or more likely to be right, than the views of hundreds of other climate scientists?"
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Lindzen clearly has the raw data to support his claims, while the other "scientists" merely have their computer models.
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Lindzen bases his final assumption and conclusion that over the past 20 years of data collection, his conclusion is that carbon emissions have absolutely no direct effect on climate change.
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Whether he works for the oil industry or not, which I see you do not support your claim with any factual proof, would not be the first time that 80% or even 99.9% of the scientific community were wrong and the one scientist who did the research was proven correct.
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There have been so many times in the past that the majority have been proven to be wrong, and just one diligent scientist has been proven to be correct.
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When you can show me raw data, Art, then perhaps you can sway my opinion as well. If all you have is blow hard accusations and ficticious opinions, then please simply state it as such first. "It is just my opinion". -
8.5
Rusty - thanks for responding.
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Slightly OT, but there isn't a lot of talk about the white house's non-support for the maine prop 1. I used to think that the white house were strategic wizards for staying out of the legislative action regarding Equality earlier this year. That way, no one could accuse outsiders of imposing their views on state citizens. It was to remain strictly a state affair if it were to succeed.
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But at the very least, i expected the white house to offer anemic support for the CONCEPT of equality when prodded about the ballot measure.
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Now im kinda torn. '08 made me more tolerant of the issue to the point that now im strongly in support of marriage equality. so, im kinda wondering whether Obama's support stops right on the edge of advocating for civil unions and is either hostile or apathetic to marriage; Or whether he's not acting because he fears the political noise.-
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Why would you expect Obama to support something he's explicitly against (marriage equality)?
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Barack Obama opposing Same Sex Marriage: "I do not support gay marriage. Marriage has religious and social connotations, and I consider marriage to be between a man and a woman." [ from the Human Rights Campaign's 2008 Presidential questionnaire]I'm not saying he's right --he's totally f-ing wrong-- but where did you get the idea he was on the side of equality?
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Drill, Baby, drill!!
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Why?
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Either you must be thinking about Sarah Palin or you're thinking that somehow, it will drain the oceans fast enough to keep sea levels from rising. -
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Why? Because there's oil there.
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And that would solve the global warming problem?
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What global warming problem?
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10.5
I see...
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Apparently Carly Fiorina is next on deck for a good old teabagging. This is got to be bad for Obama. However, Carly has more problems then the teabaggers.
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http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/senate-conservatives-fund-picks-sides-in-ca-as-demint-backs-devore.php?ref=fpa -
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Climate change bill--surely you jest. That thing ain't happening.
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So Jay, you gonna swallow the CBO estimates again? -
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Imagine if there was a huge meteor heading straight at the planet that would destroy civilization in 2 months. Imagine if scientists said we had 1 month to launch a rocket to deflect it before it was too late.
The GOP would declare it a hoax. The Dems would say they thought it was important but that the couldn't pass the critical legislation to launch the rocket ("on an issue this important, we need bipartisan support").
Finally, with 1 week to go before the deadline, the Dems would coax Olympia Snowe into supporting the bill on the condition that there be a trigger: If the meteor was still heading towards the Earth in 2 weeks, we would launch the rocket.
Too late? Yes, but it got 60 votes.
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We're on our own now, square1.
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The Democrats in the Senate - every single one of them - must be the biggest bunch of fools that ever walked the Earth.
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John Kerry is working with Graham and Lieberman on a bill that will get 60 votes?! WTF! WTF! WTF! Didn't he learn anything by watching Baucus?
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Kerry is going to spend months and months to get legislation. But at the end of the day Graham and Lieberman - "more in sorrow than in anger" - will filibuster even though THEY WROTE IT.
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I really wish a reporter with access to the Dems in the Senate would write a story that explains just what is wrong with Reid, Kerry, Boxer, etc. How is it possible that full grown adults, who obviously have functioning cerebral cortexes, can get played for fools over and over again by the Republicans?
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I'll say it again: The Republicans aren't interested in compromising. They aren't even interested in governing in the sense that they want to responsibly use our tax dollars to deliver a service such as actually protecting our borders or educating our children. The only reason they run for office is because getting elected is a great ego boost, and the lobbying jobs they get after they leave office pay great.
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Then again, maybe I've answered my own question. The Democrats and the Republicans are motivated by exactly the same things, and provide the exact same benefit - which is to waste our tax dollars on fighting a never ending series of wars against people who live in caves or tunnels. They are just like Tide and Cheer: same product, different brands.
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And people wonder why the Democratic base didn't bother to vote yesterday? Why would we? Last year I didn't know that all of my hard work and cash was going to result in Olympia Snowe becoming Majority Leader in the Senate. Nor did I know that when I voted for Obama I was going to end up with President Rahm.
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Nader was right. -
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Why the hell are we trying to get filibuster-proof legislation on everything anyway?
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It simply doesn't make sense.
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If we would let them filibuster on all these issues, then the Dems certainly would not be the target of the country's ire*.
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*FOX fans and dittoheads will froth at the mouth anyway, so fockit.-
15.1
"*FOX fans and dittoheads will froth at the mouth anyway, so fockit."
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I'll point out my own glaring error.
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They would be ecstatic... -
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You were right both times. Frothing IS ecstatic for them.
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I want to get on record right now with this:
Working with Lieberman and Graham is going to come back and bite Congressional Dems in the ass.
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I've seen this over on the Wonk Room and on Washington Monthly: "Oh look, Republican Lindsey Graham is coming out in support of green legislation!"
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How can they not know that in a year or two Graham is going to backpedal so hard he leaves furrows in the marble floor? -
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Republicans made a large, stupid, error in ever allowing this issue to become so partisan over the years. History will vindicate the need, in fact has already largely done so.
It was Republicans who made the early moves on the environment, from the formation of the EPA to- in Vermont- landmark legislation decades ago that requires environmental review prior to development.
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As I said, all the "environmentalist" have as their proof are a few computer models. Fictitious assumptions as to the effects of carbon on our climate.
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Simply put, one crackpot's idea that "global warming", which has now been changed to "climate change" because the earth is no longer warming, it is cooling.
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You see ladies and gentlemen who are off in the shadows watching and reading, the liberal loons on this site are gullible. They actually believe the big government types in Washington who will grab onto any straw possible in order to gain more government control of us, our industries and our lives in general.
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In the name of what you ask? Oh they want you to believe it is to "save the planet". When it really all comes down to a shift in profits and power.
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Al Gore since leaving office has jumped from a mere millionaire to well over $200,000,000 MILLION in assets. When questioned in front of Congress how in just 7 short years he grew his own assets to that level, Al's reply was basically "it's none of your business".
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It is a farce, always has been a farce and now when legitimate scientific data, not computer estimations, are presented our little liberals here on this site will follow their "leaders". They jump into the pit with them lock stock and barrel.
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Please review this recent report, also from another MIT Professor on how his 20 years of research on temperature changes versus the other climate change quacks are different.
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For my friend, Art Pepper. And, anyone else who would like to read a scientific study, please click on the link below.
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http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/07/23/new-paper-from-lindzen/
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While lindzen is just one individual in the whole world of scientists who have come out on the side of Global Warming or Climate Change, he IS the individual scientist who has not only the credentials, but also the factual data to support his claims. All that the other "scientists" have, are computer models and Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" to back up their claims.
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