Get in the Game Senator Mikulski

I recently made a post on the Chesapeake Climate Action Network(CCAN)’s blog on Senator Barbara Mikulski’s lack of concern when it comes to the Clean Air Act.  Check it out below

Here’s a question: If you’re a legislator and you voted to strengthen a particular piece of legislation, and that piece of legislation later came under threat, wouldn’t you make an effort to protect it? The answer seems logical enough, but then again, as we all know, everyday logic doesn’t always apply to the world of politics.

How else would you explain Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski’s failure stand up to protect the Clean Air Act from the attacks that it’s recently come under from the likes of Lisa “Dirty Air” Murkowski? After all, as the Senate’s Legislation and Records site shows, Senator Mikulski voted for the 1990 amendments that strengthened the original 1970 Clean Air Act, ensuring that it had the teeth it needed to really bite into problems like acid rain. But now when opponents of climate action are trying to knock those same teeth out, Mikulski is standing on the sidelines.

Climate Denial Resolution in Maryland General Assembly

Of course, it’s sponsored by all Republicans, and Republican legislators really don’t have much to do in our General Assembly since there are so few of them.  Maryland passed one of the strongest bills in the country addressing greenhouse gas emissions last year.

Still, this resolution provides ample reason for why Democrats should keep their large margins in the House, Senate, and Governorship in 2010.  I’m not sure if the Republicans in office in Maryland know how to govern, they’re too busy writing meaningless resolutions that aren’t going to see the light of day, let alone the floor.

In fact, they’re so lazy, they didn’t even write their own resolution denying global warming, they just plagiarized the same resolution Utah’s state legislature passed.  Utah resolution, Maryland resolution.  Here’s how they both open, just to drive the point home…

“MARYLAND: “WHEREAS, Email and other communications between climate researchers around the globe discovered as part of the recent “climate-gate” controversy indicate that there is a well-organized and ongoing effort to manipulate global temperature data and incorporate tricks to substantiate the theory of climate change … “

“UTAH: “WHEREAS, emails and other communications between climate researchers around the globe, referred to as ‘Climategate,’ indicate a well organized and ongoing effort to manipulate global temperature data in order to produce a global warming outcome … “

One of the co-sponsors of this legislation, Delegate Ron George (R-30) is rightfully being attacked by a challenger Judd Legum over the issue.  Here is an excerpt from his petition against this.

“A few days ago, Delegate Ron George co-sponsored a resolution in Maryland’s General Assembly stating that climate change is a “conspiracy” and urging the Environmental Protection Agency to “immediately halt” all efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Besides ignoring the overwhelming consensus among the world’s climate scientists, George is advancing a position with disastrous consequences locally for the Chesapeake Bay:

– Increased carbon dioxide concentrations can increase algae blooms, which are the source of large “dead zones” in the Chesapeake Bay. [Source]

– Many of the most effective agricultural practices to sequester carbon — such as forest buffers, no-till farming and cover crops — are also essential to improving water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. [Source]

In a time of economic challenge, Maryland can’t afford to allow the Chesapeake Bay to continue to degrade. The Bay is Maryland’s most valuable economic resource: driving commerce, buttressing property values and attracting tourists.

We need to dispense with far-right ideology and focus on our shared goals in Maryland.

Amen

See Planet Forward and Wonk Room for more on these resolutions.

Blanche Lincoln is in Trouble!

It’s no secret by now that Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln, the Democrat in the Senate who loves acting like a Republican, is in trouble.  She was already trailing her likely Republican opponent for the seat 56-33%, and now she has a Democratic challenger in the name of Lt. Governor Bill Halter.  According to the Washington Post:

“Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter (D) is quickly becoming the darling of the liberal left in his primary challenge to Sen. Blanche Lincoln. In the space of just 36 hours, four liberal groups — Moveon.org, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America and the Daily Kos blog — collected more than $1 million for his campaign, a remarkable total that suggests that Lincoln’s presumed cash advantage in the race may be in some jeopardy. And today the Sierra Club launches two weeks of radio ads blasting Lincoln for backing a “Big Oil bailout” in the form of her support for an effort by Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) to keep the Environmental Protection Agency from overseeing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Here is a press release from the Sierra Club on their efforts to hold Lincoln accountable for standing with polluting interests instead of Arkansas citizens

Sierra Club to Blanche Lincoln: No Big Oil Bailout
Radio Spots, Banner Ads, Other Activities Launched Today

Washington, D.C.—With a Senate vote looming, the Sierra Club today launched a robust new effort to persuade Senator Blanche Lincoln to drop her support for the Big Oil bailout proposed by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski—and crafted with the help of special interest lobbyists.  The effort will include a two-week run of a new 60-second radio spot (“Blanche’s Bailout”) running in the Little Rock market, online banner ads, and phone calls to concerned Arkansans.  In addition, Arkansans will also be invited to participate in a tele-town hall next week to discuss Senator Lincoln’s position on the Big Oil bailout and the need for her to instead support clean energy and energy independence.  You can listen to the ad here: http://bit.ly/c8bkcr

“Senator Lincoln needs to dump this Big Oil bailout,” said Benn Davenport, Sierra Club Arkansas Representative.  “Arkansans are wondering why Senator Lincoln wants to vote to protect the profits of the richest industry in human history – all the while refusing to vote for a comprehensive climate bill that will create thousands of jobs back home.  There are billions of dollars in private investments waiting for Congress to pass a climate and energy bill.  It’s time for her to support legislation that helps the clean energy businesses right here in Arkansas instead of Big Oil.”

The plan Senator Lincoln supports would gut the Clean Air Act in order to protect Big Oil’s profits.  It would stall important new fuel economy rules that will cut America’s oil use by 1.8 billion barrels and save consumers nearly $500 a year at the gas pump. The Department of Transportation warned in a letter last week that should this Big Oil bailout pass, it “would have profoundly adverse effects on the national economy, national environmental and energy security objectives, and the economically distressed automobile manufacturing industry.”  The Department of Transportation’s letter can be readhere.

“This Big Oil bailout might be a new low—even for Washington,” said Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director. “This assault on the Clean Air Act in order to protect Big Oil’s profits is unconscionable. The Senate has not been able to do anything on energy independence, and now Senator Lincoln wants to do even less.”

The Sierra Club recently finished a two-week round of radio spots (“Choosing Sides”) calling on Senator Lincoln to choose between Washington special interests and the needs of her constituents.  Senator Lincoln’s staff responded by citing the special interests groups supporting her efforts to bail out Big Oil by gutting the Clean Air Act.

“It was particularly disappointing to see Senator Lincoln justify her support for this Big Oil bailout by pointing to the Washington special interest groups backing her plan–the American Petroleum Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and other anti-science groups that are glad to trade climate security for profit,” said Davenport. “She still has time to reconsider and we hope she’ll dump this special interest plan benefiting the few, and instead, embrace a climate and energy bill that will help everyday Arkansans and our local clean energy businesses.”

The full script of “Blanche’s Bailout,” a 60-second spot appears below:

“First it was the big Wall Street banks.  Then the Detroit car companies.  Now some in the United States Senate want to bail out Big Oil.

“That’s right – an industry that made billions last year.  And even as the Arkansas economy is hurting and gas prices are rising, our own Senator Blanche Lincoln is backing this Big Oil bailout.

“Senator Lincoln is co-sponsoring legislation that will protect Big Oil’s profits by stalling new fuel economy rules that will cut America’s oil use by nearly 2 billion barrels and save consumers nearly $500 a year at the gas pump.

“And if this wasn’t bad enough, a major newspaper reports that the plan that Lincoln supports was crafted by lobbyists for Big Oil and other special interests.

“The Senate has been unable to do anything on energy independence and now Senator Lincoln wants to do even less.

“Call Senator Lincoln at 501.375.2993 and ask her to oppose the Big Oil bailout and start making America more energy independent.

“Paid for by Sierra Club of Arkansas”

For more information, please visit:
www.sierraclub.org/bigoilbailout