Obama holds bipartisan meeting to push climate bill

[wpsedgwick]

Source: Green Technology Daily

President Barack Obama met with 14 senators from both parties at the White House on Tuesday as his administration stepped up efforts to win bipartisan support for a comprehensive climate and energy bill that has languished in Congress for six months.

Among the senators at the meeting were John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Democrat and Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent, who are crafting a bill that targets a 17 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 from 2005 levels.



Read more: http://www.greentechnologydaily.com/climate-change/658-obama-holds-bipartisan-meeting-to-push-climate-bill

---

Kerry says that Obama continues to support a price for carbon, a move that would make oil and coal more expensive and the administration believes, encourage greater use of renewable energy and cleaner-burning natural gas.

[Arkana]

1. Hey, something he might actually get bipartisan support for.

[liberation]

2. Just a reminder: Bipartisan means that it benefits both parties...

... it says nothing regarding wether or not it benefits the people.

Whenever the word "bipartisan" is uttered I can't help but being reminded of Carlin's definition for the term: "the word bipartisan means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out.” But who knows, maybe one day... if Mr. Obama tries hard enough, he can finally gain the validation from those conservatives whose esteem he craves so much.

[nyy1998]

4. At this point he needs it to be bipartisan for it to pass the Senate.

He doesn't have a choice. Graham actually has been pretty good on this issue as a Republican, if the Administration could get his vote, he might provide cover for other possible Republicans(Snowne and Collins come to mind) and the Democrats wouldn't have to "sell the store"

[karynnj]

5. It has to be bipartisan - as this is not something that splits exactly on party lines

There are Senators we usually think can be counted on who quite probably will vote against it. One example is Feingold. Here are votes he made in the first half of last year.

to waive the CBA on Whitehouse's amendment for a deficit neutral fund for clean energy -

to prohibit reconcilation for cap and trade (Johanns bill) - Feingold for

Graham amendment - to protect middle class from an energy tax - Feingold for

Bond amendment - anti future climate change bill if it affects coal - Feingold for

Now, Feingold is a solid progressive, but on this issue he is simply not there. This is why they need to get several Republicans.

[unabelladonna]

3. terrific idea...

people aren't being gouged enough by rising prices on everything. why not make it even more difficult for us to hold onto our standard of living.