White flag on green

Bush tacitly acknowledges he’s lost on the environment 4

The GOP has figured out that its defiantly retrograde stance on the environment -- including energy and climate issues -- has become an electoral liability. How can you tell?

Here's how:

James L. Connaughton, who chairs the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said in an interview after the elections that the administration may be able to make common cause with Democrats on some issues.

"The history of environmental legislation is a history of reasonable balance," Connaughton said. "At the end of the day, if you want to see progress on the environment, you got to strike that reasonable balance."

This is the Bush White House. They seek "common cause" when they're losing, never otherwise.

David Roberts is staff writer for Grist. You can follow his Twitter feed at twitter.com/drgrist.

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  1. wiscidea Posted 5:15 am
    01 Dec 2006

    I do not trust them.This is one case where the progressives should follow the Republican example... when the enemy raises a white flag move in and disarm them. Do not under any circumstances assume they are friendly now and have learned to cooperate. Continue pushing for real reform. And after they are defeated continue pushing until the majority of Americans view "conservative" a pejorative label.
  2. jjwfmme Posted 6:31 am
    01 Dec 2006

    The big oil PR machine is revving up...

    http://www.potomacflacks.com/pf/2006/12/oil_industrys_1.h...
    Maybe there are green issues people can agree on. But I bet anything to do with energy is still going to be a tough fight.
  3. randino Posted 11:32 pm
    03 Dec 2006

    Reasonable conservatives.There is this mass hallucination that is gripping the country. It says that after the elections Bush & Co on any number of issues are all of sudden, warm and fuzzy and reasonable.
    I think we should go with what we know, not what we hope. What we know is that this is an administration of hard ass ideologues, possessed of an almost messianic zeal. They are a bunch of people who say what they mean, and mean what they say. They will fight you til the last dog (or Iraqi) is dead.
    Hell, they have told the EPA to destroy their library. That is like the action of a caudillo who is shredding documents, shooting prisoners, and looting the treasury on the way to the airport.
    Do not look for progress on the environment, especially global warming, or the war in Iraq under this President. He had always said what he was going to do, and people have always chosen to ignore him, thinking "This crazy bastard can't be saying that." Then they are amazed when he does just what he said he was going to do. They are the fools, not him.
    randino

    Randy Cunningham
  4. swozniak Posted 2:16 am
    04 Dec 2006

    Which probably translates to:"Don't attack our industry too much and 'hinder our economic progress' and we'll work with you on the environment."

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