<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Candidates, Congress split on ‘gas tax holiday’]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by ce1907 http://www.grist.org/article/the-gas-tax-wars/ Thu, 01 May 2008 21:08:53 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-gas-tax-wars/1 same dynamic in the Senate debate of L-W

Repubs are gearing up to yell higher gasoline prices

Conservative Dems fear that PR campaign, and many want to weaken the target reductions of L-W and put in a safety valve.  They will try to kill L-W without fingerprints, and bring back a weaker bill (through Energy Committee) next Congress.

The dream of an ever more progressive climate bill is not based upon counting votes.

L-W has legs because large blocks of business see a way to make money.  Progressives want to cut out that part in the name of fairness and efficiency and whatever.

Kill business interest, and you kill support for caps even as aggressive as L-W.

Maybe 20 Dems are strong on climate.  About 6 are unalterably opposed to anything meaningful.  About 25 will blow in the wind, but are easily scared by talk of higher gas prices or economic disruption.

1 Repub for climate, about 42 unalterably opposed, maybe 6 on the fence.

Right now, Sen. B will try to scare everyone behind the scenes, hoping L-W gets less than 40 votes.  (Distinctly possible.)  Then he will say the woman senator cannot handle the issue, and push the leader to put the "energy issues" back into the Energy Committee next year.

Likely to work.

]]> same dynamic in the Senate debate of L-W

Repubs are gearing up to yell higher gasoline prices

Conservative Dems fear that PR campaign, and many want to weaken the target reductions of L-W and put in a safety valve.  They will try to kill L-W without fingerprints, and bring back a weaker bill (through Energy Committee) next Congress.

The dream of an ever more progressive climate bill is not based upon counting votes.

L-W has legs because large blocks of business see a way to make money.  Progressives want to cut out that part in the name of fairness and efficiency and whatever.

Kill business interest, and you kill support for caps even as aggressive as L-W.

Maybe 20 Dems are strong on climate.  About 6 are unalterably opposed to anything meaningful.  About 25 will blow in the wind, but are easily scared by talk of higher gas prices or economic disruption.

1 Repub for climate, about 42 unalterably opposed, maybe 6 on the fence.

Right now, Sen. B will try to scare everyone behind the scenes, hoping L-W gets less than 40 votes.  (Distinctly possible.)  Then he will say the woman senator cannot handle the issue, and push the leader to put the "energy issues" back into the Energy Committee next year.

Likely to work.

]]> Comment #2 by GreyFlcn http://www.grist.org/article/the-gas-tax-wars/ Thu, 01 May 2008 21:56:55 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-gas-tax-wars/2 Well

CE1907, remember what happened with the 2007 Energy Bill?

It was a mix of pork and progressive policy.

Then they killed the progressive policy, all except the fuel economy hike.  (Which was largely agreed upon because they want to stop California from regulation GHGs)

I do admit you have to keep pork in mind, however you also need to figure out what type of "path of least resistance" are you creating.

Don't sell the farm unless you plan on getting something good in return.

]]> Well

CE1907, remember what happened with the 2007 Energy Bill?

It was a mix of pork and progressive policy.

Then they killed the progressive policy, all except the fuel economy hike.  (Which was largely agreed upon because they want to stop California from regulation GHGs)

I do admit you have to keep pork in mind, however you also need to figure out what type of "path of least resistance" are you creating.

Don't sell the farm unless you plan on getting something good in return.

]]> Comment #3 by VeganCountyFan http://www.grist.org/article/the-gas-tax-wars/ Fri, 02 May 2008 00:19:45 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-gas-tax-wars/3 aftermath

I can't help but wonder - if the gas tax holiday goes ahead, I guess it will last just long enough for people to have got used to the lower prices.  How will people react once it's over and the price of gas jumps back up...?

]]> aftermath

I can't help but wonder - if the gas tax holiday goes ahead, I guess it will last just long enough for people to have got used to the lower prices.  How will people react once it's over and the price of gas jumps back up...?

]]> Comment #4 by TheGreenMiles http://www.grist.org/article/the-gas-tax-wars/ Fri, 02 May 2008 01:16:51 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-gas-tax-wars/4 Hillary's getting killed among environmentalists

The gas tax holiday is a blatant pander ... but it's Obama who's going to have trouble defending his position? If anything, this is establishing Obama as the greenest candidate in the race, which may not be a big deal in a general election, but when we're down to fighting over a few hundred superdelegates, a strong green stand could make an impact.

Join the discussion on global warming, recycling, and organic beer at The Green Miles!

]]> Hillary's getting killed among environmentalists

The gas tax holiday is a blatant pander ... but it's Obama who's going to have trouble defending his position? If anything, this is establishing Obama as the greenest candidate in the race, which may not be a big deal in a general election, but when we're down to fighting over a few hundred superdelegates, a strong green stand could make an impact.

Join the discussion on global warming, recycling, and organic beer at The Green Miles!

]]> Comment #5 by ce1907 http://www.grist.org/article/the-gas-tax-wars/ Fri, 02 May 2008 23:48:34 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-gas-tax-wars/5 GreyFlcn

The people who controlled the Energy Bill want to take control of the climate bill.  They will balance things as they did before.

Energy Committee will gut the 2020 standards, if they can.  Preempt.  Safety valve.  Numerous other.  Then declare victory, Dingell will cheer, and we will be done for a decade.

That is the wolf in the closet.

The set up for the coup is this year's vote on L-W bill.  That will be sabotaged to justify taking over.  To the extent possible, the sabotage will be off stage and through proxies.

Expect personal attacks and attacks on "procedure."  The time-honored way to oppose policy in DC is to destroy the advocate for the other position.

]]> GreyFlcn

The people who controlled the Energy Bill want to take control of the climate bill.  They will balance things as they did before.

Energy Committee will gut the 2020 standards, if they can.  Preempt.  Safety valve.  Numerous other.  Then declare victory, Dingell will cheer, and we will be done for a decade.

That is the wolf in the closet.

The set up for the coup is this year's vote on L-W bill.  That will be sabotaged to justify taking over.  To the extent possible, the sabotage will be off stage and through proxies.

Expect personal attacks and attacks on "procedure."  The time-honored way to oppose policy in DC is to destroy the advocate for the other position.

]]>