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The Three Wise Men ?
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The Three Wise Men ? |
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Balladeer
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Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA 
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WASHINGTON — As President Obama heads to Copenhagen this week to convince world leaders of the United States' commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, he's getting help from an unexpected quarter. In the Senate, where partisan feuding engulfs Obama's health care bill, an unusual group of lawmakers is working across party lines on a compromise bill that would boost domestic energy production while reducing pollution that causes global warming. Described by participants as "tripartisan," the effort unites Sens. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat; Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent; and Lindsey Graham, an outspoken South Carolina Republican. The three are touting their alliance as proof that Congress is prepared to approve significant reductions in carbon emissions. Suspicions about U.S. intentions surfaced Tuesday at the United Nations global climate conference in Copenhagen, as China's representatives accused their U.S. counterparts and other developed nations of not going far enough to help poor nations. "Developed countries have the obligation to provide financial support," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said. Kerry has a pointed message of his own for the Chinese in a speech he plans to deliver in Copenhagen today after an all-night flight from Washington. "Some of my colleagues in Washington remain — like some leaders elsewhere — reluctant to grapple with a climate crisis mostly measured in future dangers and parts per million, when they're confronted every day with the present pain of hard-working people in a tough economic time," Kerry says, in remarks prepared for delivery. "To pass a bill, we must be able to assure a senator from Ohio that steelworkers in his state won't lose their jobs to India and China because those countries are not participating in a way that is measureable, reportable and verifiable," he adds. The trio's strategy: Combining legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions — a favorite cause of Democrats — with measures that would beef up domestic energy production and attract GOP votes. That would include expanding offshore oil and gas drilling, which is opposed as a threat to beaches by groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council. It would also jump-start the U.S. nuclear industry, which has not been permitted to build a new plant since the 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island plant in central Pennsylvania. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-12-15-senate-climate-change_N.htm?csp=34&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomWashington-TopStories+%2 8News+-+Washington+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo Stand up to the Chinese? Offshore oil and natural gas drilling? Nuclear plants? Maybe these guys ARE really the three wise men! (If any of you think it was easy saying something decent about Kerry.....I assure you it wasn't!)  |
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Bob K Member Elite
since 2007-11-03
Posts 4208 |
Not everything the man does fits with the Liberal model of the universe. Just like I find Bush did things I thought occasionally necessary, like the original bailout. I find it difficult to make sure I see what's actually there, sometimes, rather than what I'm sure ought to be there if things were acting according to my notion of what the rules are. It makes the world much more interesting, though much more puzzling at the same time for me. If I understand the pith of what you're saying and can have a shot at paraphrasing it, "(If any of you think it's easy, [actually seeing that Bush isn't acting predictably, or that Kerry isn't], I assure you it isn't [easy at all]!). I hope I've got that approximately right. I don't want to put the wrong ideas out there and pretend you've said them if in fact I've gotten this wrong. Thanks! All my best, Bob Kaven |
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