On climate change, the media and Graham need to cut the drama and Democrats need to get it done

[ProSense]

CLIMATE BILL HANGS BY A THREAD....

Tomorrow was going to be a critical day for a new climate/energy bill. The tri-partisan plan -- crafted by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) -- had been shaped over the course of several months, and its proponents were finally going to unveil the details at a Capitol Hill event.

Its prospects looked murky, but much of the necessary legwork had already been done -- the White House was on board with the provisions, and many business leaders, whose support would be critical, were poised to endorse the effort.

Late yesterday, Lindsey Graham signaled his intention to walk away, and in the process, may have killed the legislation.

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I'm not entirely unsympathetic to Graham's concerns -- all things considered, it makes more sense to me to tackle climate before immigration -- but his tactical demands are a little over the top. In effect, Graham is saying, "Do things in the order I prefer or I'll kill both major legislative initiatives."

Specifically, Graham wrote in his letter, "I will not allow our hard work to be rolled out in a manner that has no chance of success." He will, however, walk away from months of negotiations, guaranteeing that his hard work has no chance of success. In other words, Graham is afraid a push on immigration reform might undermine his climate/energy bill, so he's decided to undermine his climate/energy bill.

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Reid: Climate bill could come before immigration

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said today that Democrats might push climate legislation before immigration reform, depending on which bill is ready first.

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“As I have said, I am committed to trying to enact comprehensive clean energy legislation this session of Congress," Reid said in a statement responding to Graham's threat.

"Doing so will require strong bipartisan support and energy could be next if it's ready. I have also said we will try to pass comprehensive immigration reform. This too will require bipartisan support and significant committee work that has not yet begun," Reid added.

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“I appreciate the work of Senator Graham on both of these issues and understand the tremendous pressure he is under from members of his own party not to work with us on either measure," Reid said.

"But I will not allow him to play one issue off of another, and neither will the American people. They expect us to do both, and they will not accept the notion that trying to act on one is an excuse for not acting on the other."

White House Responds To Graham Climate Letter: 'Determined To See It Happen This Year'

White House climate czar Carol Browner issued a statement tonight responding to Sen. Lindsey Graham's suggestion that immigration would derail the bipartisan climate change legislation that he was set to reveal Monday.

Her statement is below.

We believe the only way to make progress on these priorities is to continue working as we have thus far in a bipartisan manner to build more support for both comprehensive energy independence and immigration reform legislation.

We commend Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman for the tremendous work they have done to date to seize this moment and build a new coalition of business and environmental leaders and their efforts to craft a bill that will garner the votes to pass the Senate.

We have an historic opportunity to finally enact measures that will break our dependence on foreign oil, help create clean energy jobs and reduce carbon pollution. We're determined to see it happen this year, and we encourage the Senators to continue their important work on behalf of the country and not walk away from the progress that's already been made.

Senator Kerry via the Boston Globe[/b>:

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Kerry, in a statement, cast Graham’s withdrawal as deeply regrettable but a temporary setback. He said he was determined to press forward.

“I remain deeply committed to this effort which I have worked on for more than 20 years. We have no choice but to act this year. The American people deserve better than for the Senate to defer this debate or settle for an energy-only bill that won’t get the job done.’’

The sudden reversal came after Kerry had already begun talking up the details of the legislation with interest groups and reporters.

Calling it a “game-changer’’ that seeks to forge a partnership with businesses instead of punishing them for polluting, Kerry told the Globe the bill would create a system that puts a price on carbon emissions and directs most of the proceeds to the public in the form of rebates.

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