Beam me to Planet Gore !
Posted on 12/17/2010 11:55:28 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Have I woken up in a parallel universe? More Democrats than Republicans vote to endorse the Bush tax rates as I was falling asleep. Now in the Senate, Politico reports that a key Democrat will attempt to defy Harry Reid and stop the Obama administration from imposing climate-change regulation at the EPA — before Republicans in the House get to take charge.
Pardon me for a moment … I have to check to see whether I’ve grown a goatee overnight:
Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) is pressing forward on his drive to vote this month on his plan to delay Obama administration climate regulations for two years, threatening to go directly to the Senate floor and force a vote to include it in a catch-all spending bill.
Rockefeller has told Senate leadership “that he will insist on a vote” on his measure to block the Environmental Protection Agency global warming rules set to take effect next month.
“If left with no other option, Senator Rockefeller will seek to suspend the rules on the Omnibus Appropriations bill to bring up his legislation,” his office said in a statement. Such a maneuver would require 67 votes, which he is unlikely to get.
Originally, Rockefeller wanted this as an amendment to the OmniPorkulus bill, but that died last night as well. He’ll have to either attach it to the continuing resolution, or else aim at either DADT or the START treaty for his amendment. Republicans certainly won’t have any trouble at all supporting Rockefeller’s efforts, but Reid will be stuck between his promise to the West Virginia Senator and a White House that will not react well to such a moratorium. If Reid reneges, he may find himself defending his position as Majority Leader, a position coveted by Chuck Schumer, who won’t be likely to rush to his defense.
Rockefeller may want to aim a little more broadly than the EPA, however. As the Boss Emeritus reports, Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has arrived in Arizona to address the murder of a Border Patrol agent, but her priorities are elsewhere. The new priority for Homeland Security — “environmental justice“:
Five Cabinet secretaries and senior officials from a wide range of federal agencies and offices participated in the first White House Forum on Environmental Justice today, illustrating the Obama administration’s commitment to ensuring all Americans have strong federal protection from environmental and health hazards.
More than 100 environmental justice leaders from across the country attended the day-long event, which featured White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.
Remember when Congress insisted on creating DHS in order to focus on national security from a domestic vantage point? How they demanded that all agencies that work on controlling borders and transit points be centralized for greater efficiency? Either we’re seeing a first-class case of mission creep here, or everyone in Washington has grown a goatee. At the very least, we’ve taken an Orwellian turn in the definition of “homeland security,” and in an age of terrorism, that’s a dangerous turn indeed.
fyi
He wants to claim credit for it under a RAT/RAT/RAT majority. He knows that if the regs are implemented his constituents will tar and feather him and I’m guessing he’s up in 2012.
if those regs get implemented West Virginia will instantly turn as Red as some of the creeks down there
So old Rockefeller can read-— the writing on the wall
The new priority for Homeland Security — “environmental justice“:
What next? Redefine NASA’s mission from exploring space to a Muslim outreach program?
Nevermind.
maybe he caught word Manchin was wotking that angle and wanted to jump out in front.
Last Elected: 11/04/2008
Next Election: 2014
I don't believe he's going to run in 2014. He'll be doing very well to complete his current term....it seems that he has inherited his mother's Alzheimer’s Disease and is already to the point where he sometimes doesn't recognize some lifetime friends.
Gee...I WONDER if this could be political posturing on the part of this hyper arrogant, supremely Marxist thug??!! “Hey, don’t blame ME, dear voters. After all, I raised the issue and voter FOR it!!!! Those other senators are the ones to blame!!” Of course, the fact that he KNEW it wouldn’t pass and didn’t want it to in the first place....that will just be his little secret.
Just make carbon trading illegal. Its a sham and does nothing to reduce greenhouse gases. That will put the kibosh on californias new carb regulations.
I’ll believe it when I see it. I have no faith at all in any of the idiots in DC. Hell, look at ethanol, still they fund it!
Rockefeller had little choice. If he does not go against the EPA on totally ruining his state, the people would vote him out asp. It must kill him to see this socialist agenda being put on the back burners.
Thanks Ernest! All politics is local.
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