Politico: Kerry, Lieberman & Graham to meet tonight "to try to restart energy bill"

[beachmom]

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=3B1A86E1-18FE-70B2-A89FDE7CA3138929

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are planning to meet tonight to try to reset action on the energy bill that they had intended to introduce today until their plan was derailed last week.

Their meeting, scheduled for after the cloture vote on financial regulation reform, will take place despite Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s intention to hold debate on an immigration bill before the energy issue comes to the floor – a plan that prompted Graham to say he would no longer be a co-sponsor of the bill, despite months of working on it with Kerry and Lieberman.

Graham’s decision set off a weekend scramble, which included White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, to keep the energy package on track.

...

Although the proposal is apparently in final form, it would still take weeks for it to get to the Senate floor. Before then, it must be melded with another energy measure passed by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and reviewed by the Congressional Budget Office and several administration agencies.

Reid is considering using that time – and perhaps more – to move an immigration bill.

[beachmom]

1. More from Mother Jones:

http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/04/climate-bill-doa

Astonishingly, the most insightful comment comes from an industry lobbyist:

However, a lobbyist for major energy companies says that the delay is just further evidence that there are major substance problems, and that the senators never had all that much support for their efforts in the first place. "hile it’s tempting to view the immigration dust up as an external force disrupting the climate discussion, all was not completely well even before the recent events," said Scott Segal of Bracewell & Giuliani, a firm that represents energy companies like Southern Co. and Duke Energy Corp., noting that there were still a number of hotly contested issues regarding the bill. "So, if the immigration fight lit the match, there was already some smoldering in advance of today’s planned event."

Meanwhile, due to this thread (from the Front Page), I will resume my avoidance of the site known as Daily Kos:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/4/26/860607/-Lindsey-Graham-needs-to-get-his-story-straight

Look at this throw off line from SusanG:

Not that we mind you pulling your support from the proposed craptacular climate bill, but ...

It's a post going after Graham, which is fine if it were even handed, which it isn't. Then look at comments. They tend to focus on Graham possibly being gay. So, yup, the "liberals" on DailyKos are as sick and shameless as that anti-immigration xenophobe in South Carolina. The lack of any good writers on the environment on the front page is pretty bad. The only articles that are decent are on general environmental news, not climate change legislation.

[karynnj]

4. They are disgusting

Seeing that gay rights are an enormous issue with them, shouldn't they respect either a straight man from being called gay - as an insult - or a gay man, who prefers to keep his private life private. Not to mention, what exactly is there complaint about Graham if they dislike the climate bill. (Not to mention - seeing that they have absolutely no concern about getting a climate change bill it is pretty silly that they deem one that has a prayer of passing as they do.

Here's an article on the politics. It slightly embarrassed me that I absolutely missed that they do not even seriously intend to pass a bill if this is true. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20003430-503544.html I hope that is not the case because that will anger every one.

[wisteria]

2. This is ridiculous, he is going to move an Immigration bill in a couple of weeks?

They are stringing the climate change supports and immigration supporters along and nothing will get accomplished. I guess this is what Tay alluded to as good politics. But, I for one don't like being appeased with empty promises.

[beachmom]

3. Ezra Klein speaks for me:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/04/you_wouldnt_like_lindsey_graha.html

But Graham has a legitimate beef here. Climate change is much likelier to pass than immigration reform. For one thing, it's already passed the House. For another, Graham, Kerry, Lieberman and others have spent an extraordinary amount of time sounding out key legislators, business groups, advocacy organizations and pretty much everyone else with a loud voice or an important vote. This is going to be a hard bill to move, but they've spent months doing the hard work necessary to have a chance. (Whether the bill is a good bill worth moving is, I should say, another story entirely.)

The same cannot be said for immigration reform. The House has not considered legislation on the subject. There have not been endless stakeholder meetings or sessions with key legislators. Indeed, when I talk to people about the two issues, the difference is this: When people talk about climate change, they talk about passing a bill. When they talk about immigration reform, they talk about the electoral usefulness of bringing up the issue. In fact, I don't know of anyone who is not paid to be optimistic about an immigration bill passing who thinks that an immigration bill will pass.

...

Moreover, Graham is right on the merits: Moving a climate change bill this year is more important than moving an immigration bill. There's a point-of-no-return on climate change: If you don't start getting carbon emissions down in the near future, it'll be too late. Immigration, conversely, is bad, but it's not getting dramatically worse or harder to fix with each passing month.

Exactly! On climate the clock is ticking. One cannot say that on immigration reform.

[wisteria]

5. Well, I agree with him too. But, it appears they think talking about an immigration bill is a good

political move, because they damn well know that is all it is-talk. Are some people that stupid, to be taken in with talk instead of a promise to really get tough and tackle the issue in the very near future? Why can't the Dem leadership level with the people calling for immigration reform now?Give it to them straight. Won't is just make them angrier when they see nothing but talk on the issue? This is the problem with Washington-all talk and no action.
And yes, as Senator Kerry said, now is the time for Climate Change legislation. It is like Health Care, the opportunity to get things passed don't come around to ofter-you have the seize the moment.

[ProSense]

6. Sen. Kerry (D-MA) says news of the death of the climate bill is greatly exaggerated.

here