Senators Graham (r-SC), Kerry (D-MA) and Liebermann (I-Conn) are at it again, meeting with Democratic leadership to map out their strategy for pushing climate change legislation through Congress before the campaigns for the 2010 elections get underway.

 

We told you this was coming, and described on several occasions what they were up to and why it’s wrong.  But Obama aides met with Harry Reid and other key Democrats today to map out the strategy they will use when the three stooges introduce their bill shortly.

 

Graham has some interesting bedfellows as he develops the legislation.  He is working with lobbyists for General Electric, according to townhall.com.

 

“Graham is working with GE lobbyists to draft the ‘‘Clean Energy Act of 2009’’ – legislation to establish a federal mandate requiring that an increasing amount of electricity must be derived from so-called “clean energy” sources over the coming decades.

Specifically, the draft bill demands that 20 percent of electricity come from “clean energy” sources by 2020 and 50 percent by 2050.

Coincidentally or otherwise, Graham’s definition of clean energy matches GE’s business strategy in clean coal technology and renewable and nuclear energy.”

What is GE’s interest in this legislation?

“The nexus between GE’s influence and its business interests was exposed by the New York Times, which reported, “Several sources said General Electric Co. helped Graham in crafting the legislative language. GE has the world’s largest gas turbine manufacturing plant, in Greenville, S.C., and the company also is leading development of new nuclear reactors and a ’clean coal‘ technology known as integrated gasification combined cycle, which has the capacity to capture and permanently sequester carbon emissions.  GE’s wind and solar power products could also be used to meet Graham’s renewable energy mandates.”

GE, lead by Jeffrey Immelt, its CEO, would rather lobby Congress to enact legislation that fits his business strategy of capitalizing on global warming fears than to compete in the free market, and Graham is playing along.  And it’s a good thing (for GE), because their strategy has been greatly threatened as the science supporting global warming fears has been so greatly discredited that public fear is subsiding, as is Congressional support.

On the other side of the aisle, clearer heads are prevailing, as evidenced by Congressman Fleming’s (R-LA) testimony today to the Department of the Interior.  And Fleming is not alone, as 88 House Republicans sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar demanding that new leases for offshore drilling be opened.

Regular readers will recall that President Bush lifted a moratorium on offshore drilling.  When Obama took office, Secretary Salazar extended a six week period for the public to respond to six months, after which his staff never got around to telling him the results.  Sixty percent of respondents were in favor of drilling.

More recently, Obama, through Salazar’s Department, stated that no new leases would be approved before 2012.  Today, House Republicans told Salazar that

“There is no question that establishment of this new ‘Obama Moratorium’ will have dire impacts on our economic future. These years of delay will directly result in uncreated jobs for unemployed Americans, billions of dollars in lost revenues to the U.S. Treasury, and a greater dependence on unstable foreign sources of oil and natural gas that puts our national security at risk. This action cancels nearly a dozen lease sales in the OCS that were scheduled to begin in July, 2010. The Department’s stalling and blockade of new energy production from the OCS endangers tens of thousands of existing jobs, and also prevents the creation of new jobs that would help lower our nation’s nearly ten percent unemployment rate. Opening new areas to drilling and job creation would be a no-cost stimulus for the U.S. economy.

Gasoline prices are once again climbing, due in no small part to OPEC’s recent decision to hold production steady despite increased world demand, and they will continue to unless that demand is somehow addressed.

 

Legislation has been introduced, namely the American Energy Act, that promotes increased production in an environmentally responsible manner, and promotes increased nuclear and clean coal electrical generation (along with giving lip service to wind and solar).

The bill, both in full or a summarization, can be read at http://www.gop.gov/energy. 

 

The three stooges will introduce legislation within a few weeks to help bail out General Electric while further destroying our economy in the fashion of Spain and Denmark.  Other legislation has already been introduced which will lower energy costs, increase employment, and greatly reduce our dependence on energy from countries that despise us.

 

Do we support Lindsey Graham, or do we support John Fleming?

 

Or do we stay quietly on the sidelines as the majority party shoves more bad legislation down our throat?