Snowe, Collins face heat in warming fight

[MaineDem]

WASHINGTON — As much of the rest of the world begins today to observe the Kyoto Protocol - the broad effort to reduce gases that are thought to cause global warming - various U.S. factions are debating the best way to reduce harmful emissions in this country. Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins continue to oppose the Bush administration on the issue, saying the United States should act to regulate carbon-dioxide emissions from power plants.

President Bush contends that the limits in the Kyoto Protocol would hinder the country's economic growth because they could curb power production or make it more expensive. Still, 130 countries have signed on to the effort, including members of the European Union and Russia.

Snowe and Collins, both Republicans, argued Tuesday that the United States, as a leading producer of carbon dioxide, must act to reduce its emissions rather than risk rising temperatures. They worry that higher temperatures could raise sea levels and swamp coastal Maine, while also altering tree growth and animal habitat.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/050216kyoto.shtml

Snowe is up for reelection in '06. It's going to be interesting to see just how far she's willing to distance herself from a lameduck President.

[scarletlib]

1. Dear Ladies (Snow & Collins)

Leave the dark side. Follow the light. Come over to us.

[Delphinus]

12. Wonderful reply, scarletlib.

That would be so good if they would!

[UL_Approved]

2. Like Bush the Smarter, so goes the boy

Bush Sr. ultimately got so outrageous with economic policy that he was shut down by fellow Republicans in congress. There was no way that any conceivable plan could be formed from his desires.

And junior will face the same things. He started off his second term bright and early with serious concerns within his own party. And after four years, if they still have a say, Bush will be painted into a corner from bad policy and graft. History will not be kind to the Bush legacy...

[rugger]

3. Snowe is good, Collins is a smarmy witch

I'm in Maine, and support Snowe, and voted for her. She is like the old fashioned, pragmatic New England conservative. Collins is aboutas vile and useless as you can get. I can't stand listening to her talk. If she weren't in politics, she'd be a clerk at Target.

[0007]

6. Collins reminds me of Archie Bunker's wife, Edith.

[kiraboo]

8. While I agree with your characterizations in general...

Snowe is also just painful to listen to. She drones on and on in one unending sentence. They're both annoying as hell, and they both jumped on the Iraq war bandwagon without a whimper. I know; I've written to them ceaselessly on the issue and they have never voiced an opinion on the subject that GWB hasn't dictated first.

[rpannier]

4. Sen. Snowe and Collins take the road of Ms. Huffington and Sen Jefford

Admit what is already true. The party left you. They don't want you.

[izzie]

7. They are more like the old time Rep. I have read this---

they are trying to find some one in the Rep. party who they can run in place of Snowe. Should be interesting as lots of Dem. even vote for her. I think she got way over 60% last time. I can take Snowe but Collins is usually a lap dog. She does know not to go to far to the right, in Maine it does not seem to work. North part of state does have a lot of Right wing Christians. :shrug:

[TaleWgnDg]

5. B.S. !! Both are Senators from Maine . . .

B.S.!! Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are Senators from Maine. And Maine as anyone should know is suffering from the air and water-ways pollution wrought by air-borne particulants from mid-west electrical power plant emissions. It's not merely carbon-dioxide. It's heavy metals too as well as other toxins.

As GWBush loosens air particulant controls and resultant federal lawsuits fly while the northeast reads the newest and most recent EPA report about global warming as requested by Clinton when he was president, it all comes home to roost. The northeast will suffer poor air quality, poor waterways quality, poor ocean quality as well as rising coastal tides and floods, unless and until strident pollution controls are in place.

Snowe will be re-elected, period. Collins will be re-elected, period. Mainers know better than the Bush crap.

S'mattah, did this newspaper have a slow "news" day?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

9. Either they switch to our sides like Jeffords did as a MINIMUM..

or be defeated!!!

[PurityOfEssence]

10. The big issue for you folks is Acid Rain, isn't it?

With all of the relaxation of regulations on those Ohio Valley power plants, it should be having a resurgence, right? That is tangible, demonstrable and has serious historical tenderness. Shouldn't that be the big push against them?

It's sad that the few vulnerable Republican Senators are some of the only decent ones. It'll be depressing to also see Lincoln Chaffee go, but this is war.

[MaineDem]

11. Absolutely!

Acid rain and the effects of those plants. In fact, much of last summer the skies had a red tint to them all the time. Someone said it was the effects of burning coal in the midwest but I'm not sure.

As "moderate" as Olympia is Maine Dems are trying like hell to defeat her. We're working on it now. It will be an uphill battle since she has such tremendous support state-wide.