Commission: Possible?

Kerry Proposes Commission to Protect Integrity of Environmental Regulation

John Kerry, the Massachusetts senator who has slipped substantially in the ranks of Democratic presidential contenders, sought to reinvigorate his campaign yesterday by returning to one of his keystone issues: environmental protection. Speaking in New Hampshire, Kerry proposed creating a new federal commission to prevent political and corporate interests from influencing environmental regulation. Kerry's speech came shortly after the U.S. EPA dropped investigations into polluting power plants around the nation, a move that was widely seen as yet another giveaway to industry. It also came just after a major turning point in Kerry's bid for the Democratic nomination: On Sunday, he fired his campaign manager, causing two other senior advisors to quit in protest.