Exclusive: Proposal To Water Down Climate Bill Would FAVOR Obama AIDES’ Former Employer

[Segami]

We are 'proud to be the president's utility,' company's lobbyist says




" Rahm Emanuel, chief of staff to President Barack Obama, said in little-noticed remarks Friday that his administration will consider a climate change bill that only includes carbon caps on electric utilities.


“The idea of a ‘utilities only’ will also be welcomed,” he said, while “a wide range of ideas will be discussed.”


The proposal would be a boon to the oil and steel industries, as well as US manufacturers, who have argued that capping their carbon emissions would reduce their competitiveness overseas. President Obama has taken heat from liberals after a primetime speech on the BP oil spill failed to include aggressive proposals for climate change laws.


A watered-down, utilities-only climate change bill would greatly leverage the profitability of US nuclear power generator Exelon, an Illinois-based company that provides the largest share of power from nuclear reactors of any company in the United States. Exelon operates six active nuclear reactors in Obama's home state.


Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Emanuel actually helped create Exelon by advising on the merger of two companies that merged. Exelon also employed senior White House adviser David Axelrod as a consultant.


Obama's top aide Emanuel has been intricately involved in Democrats' legislative efforts on climate change.


According to a Forbes article published in December, Exelon CEO John Rowe emailed personally with Emanuel on the eve of a vote last year.


Forbes wrote: "Emanuel e-mailed Rowe on the eve of the House vote on global warming legislation and asked that he reach out to some uncommitted Democrats."


An Exelon lobbyist told the magazine they considered themselves "the President's utility."



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<http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0621/obama-proposal-water-climate-bill-favoring-aides-employer/>

[AndyA]

1. Corruption. Compromised people. Really, Obama...enough is ENOUGH!

Do you really think you can bring about change when you surround yourself with people who are compromised from day one?

Were you really surprised that Max Baucus, who is very indebted to the health care industry, didn't include public option proponents in his committee meetings? Really? Did that surprise you that that ONE GROUP WAS EXCLUDED from the procedures?

Ken Salazar. Rahm Emanual. David Axelrod. Tim Geitner.

All of these people are compromised due to their industry connections. You cannot bring about change as long as you place people in positions of authority where there's any possibility at all that they might favor their friends and contacts in the industry.

Just as a Judge should recuse himself/herself if they are in any way connected with a trial before them, people of authority in our nation's top jobs should not be considered for those jobs if they could be put in a compromising position.

And yet it happens time after time after time. How do you propose to bring about change when the ONE THING THAT MUST BE DONE to ensure change isn't done?

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[dgibby]

3. He chose the people he wanted to do what he wants them to do.

He's not a stupid man, he knows exactly what he's doing.

[Coyote_Bandit]

6. Apparently

the more things change the more they stay the same.

Color me unimpressed.

[Segami]

7. Are they taking care of the ' people's ' business for the people or they taking care of their

Industry crony lobbyists? Sooner or later the people's support ceiling will finally be reached and crack for Obama making his command of persuasion just another novelty. I guess BO believes that all democrats WILL continue to blindly support his program proposals. That might be a grave miscalculation on his part.

[xchrom]

2. recommend

[meow mix]

4. this will make DU's "Blanche-Dems" very happy

another piece of crap bill for the dinos

[lonestarnot]

5. more of the same.

[glitch]

9. more of the damn shame. nt

[pinto]

8. What Byrne/Raw Story fails to note - carbon caps are a moot point for nuclear plants.

They create almost no carbon emissions. No matter how widely carbon caps are imposed, whether by cap-and-trade or direct EPA regulation, and on which industries - the *real* crux of the issue, imo - it wouldn't matter to nuclear. The net result would be the same, it seems. Likewise for hydro and wind generation to a large extent. Solar as well.

Does a cap on carbon emissions benefit all-nuclear companies (Exelon sold off its coal plants in the 90's)? Definitely. Was the lobbying appropriate? Definitely not, imo. All such revolving door lobbying needs to go.

That said, a cap on greenhouse gas emissions of some sort was going to happen one way or the other. Coal and gas based generation was going to pay and nuclear, hydro, wind and solar generation was going to benefit.