Politics
Climate Legislation 2.0
The Washington Post has some details about the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman proposal, along with some encouraging reports of endorsements by utilities and oil companies. (Those, of course, come with a price in terms of industry concessions.) Some key features: *The bill would take effect in 2013 and would cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 17% by 2020 and …
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CONTINUE READINGPopular Support for “Cap and Dividend”
According to a poll by Public Opinion Strategies, there seems to be strong public support for cap and dividend, at least if the question is framed positively. Here is the question along with some key results: “Some Democratic and Republican Senators have proposed an overhaul to America’s energy system. The goal is to reduce pollution, …
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CONTINUE READINGSchroeder Confirmed Despite Refusal to Limit Judicial Appointments to Androids.
The Senate has just confirmed Chris Schroeder as head of the Office of Legal Policy by a 72-24 vote. He was apparently controversial because he had spoken favorably of empathy as a judicial virtue — the opposing position apparently favors the appointment of androids to the bench, such as Star Trek: New Generation’s Commander Data. …
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CONTINUE READINGSCOTUS Sweepstakes!
With the retirement of the 89-year-old John Paul Stevens, looking imminent, it’s time for the Great Mentioner to, well, start mentioning. Legal Planet’s own great mentioner, Dan Farber, commenting at TPM about the possibility of Solicitor General Elena Kagan getting the nod, observes “It would be hard for Republicans to explain how they voted to …
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CONTINUE READINGWe Interrupt This Blog…
…in order to outsource it to John Cole of Balloon Juice, who pretty much says it all regarding the fact that the scientists involved in “Climategate” were exonerated by a House of Commons investigation: Sadly, Al Gore is Still Fat, So I’m Not Sure Anyone Will Care by John Cole I’m sure the media and …
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CONTINUE READINGObama, Offshore Drilling, and Aikido
Concerning Obama’s new offshore drilling policv, it’s hard to disagree with the sentiment expressed by Matt Yglesias, Steve Benen, and Kevin Drum: why give a concession without getting anything in return? House Minority Leader John Boehner responded with a typically reality- and lithium-deprived statement. saying that “the Obama Administration continues to defy the will of …
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CONTINUE READINGTo Save the Planet…Drill of For Oil?
In his State of the Union address this past January, President Obama found a way to equate greenhouse gas reduction and clean energy jobs with an increase in offshore drilling. If he were to agree to more offshore leases, perhaps reticent members of Congress would support the kind of energy legislation needed to address climate …
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CONTINUE READINGDeja vu all over again
Remember the Sagebrush Rebellion and the County Supremacy Movement? They were attempts in the 1970s-80s and 1990s, respectively, by state and local governments in the west to assert control over federal lands. They didn’t make any legal progress because of the pesky Supremacy and Property Clauses of the US Constitution, which declare that the federal …
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CONTINUE READINGBully pulpit for nature
For those tired of the wrangling in Washington over legislation, there is some good news. For some time now, the Obama Administration has been taking matters into its own hands on the regulatory front (including fuel efficiency / greenhouse gas emission regulations for cars that should be finalized any day; greenhouse gas emissions reporting requirements …
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CONTINUE READINGGiving the Coal Industry the Byrd
Senator Byrd (D-W. Va.) has long by a mainstay of the coal industry. Actually, you could add the phrase “has long been” to almost any sentence about Byrd — he’s been around for a heck of a long time. After all, he’s served longer than any member of Congress in history. You might expect him …
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