Now that climate change is in focus, here's something else that's bound to be an issue

[ProSense]

This is from November and escaped scrutiny:

Fourteen Democratic senators stick up for coal

Thursday, 14 Democratic senators affirmed their allegiance to the profits of polluting industry at the expense of the health and jobs of their constituents. In a letter to Senate leaders, a bloc of senators with powerful coal interests in their states called for "fair emissions allowances in climate change legislation." Their definition of "fair," unfortunately, turns out to be full taxpayer subsidies for global warming polluters. They call for the free allocation of pollution permits to electric utilities to be distributed "fully based on emissions":

We urge you to ensure that emission allowances allocated to the electricity sector -- and thus, electricity consumers -- be fully based on emissions as the appropriate and equitable way to provide transition assistance in a greenhouse gas-regulated economy.

The signatories on the letter defending coal-heavy polluters are Senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Roland Burris (D-Ill.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mark Udall (D-Colo), Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

<...>

Getting an energy bill passed is going to be an interesting journey.

[Cha]

1. Some of those sigs are surprising!

Most puzzling.

Oh, it's an issue, alright..thanks for scutinizing.

[MissMarple]

2. Jobs and rates probably play a part. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[caraher]

3. How did Evan Bayh *not* sign that?

I supposed only because nobody asked...

[greencharlie]

4. will be an awesome test...

should be about 2X more difficult than HCR.

[politicasista]

5. Nah, let's bash the Dem environmentalists

like Kerry. Let's bash Obama. That's more productive. :sarcasm:

[Jennicut]

6. Harkin, Franken, Feingold, Brown?

Sigh. Getting an energy bill passed will be very difficult.

[zulchzulu]

7. We presently get almost 60% of our energy NOW from coal

You want to shut that off right now?

Good luck.