Dean Criticizes Senate for Rejecting Global Warming Bill

BOISE, ID - Howard Dean today criticized the Senate for rejecting the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act and called for a new approach to energy policy.

"Today's vote on Senator McCain and Senator Lieberman's global warming pollution bill should be a wakeup call for Congress and the country on the stark choice before us. We can choose the Bush-Cheney approach that rejects the realities of global warming resulting in an energy policy written in secret by special interests like Ken Lay. This energy bill in Congress gives billions of dollars in handouts and preferential treatment to the fossil fuel industry and companies like Halliburton while doing nothing to promote clean, American, renewable energy. Or we can take a different path.

"This is always framed as an environmental issue. It is, but it is also about our economy and our security. Global warming, if it goes unchecked, will have serious negative consequences for our economy in the coming decades. Increasing our dependence on fossil fuels will make us more vulnerable to foreign interests like OPEC and result in a continued flow of funds to Middle East countries which use the proceeds to fund terror hatred and terror. I believe we must shift to a new energy economy, move away from fossil fuels and focus on clean, renewable, domestic energy sources that will enrich the American heartland, not Middle Eastern royalty and special interests like Halliburton. As I outlined in Iowa last week, my plan focuses on renewable energy, along with improving energy efficiency and taking real action on global warming. It will create jobs here in America, reduce our dependence on foreign fossil fuels and clean our air."

http://blogforamerica.com/

This bill failed 53-43, on nearly a party line vote.

So why criticize the "Senate" rather than just the "Republicans"?

DTH

Ten Democrats voted against the measure: Senators Max Baucus of Montana, Carl Levin of Michigan, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, Zell Miller of Georgia, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, both of Arkansas, Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan, both of North Dakota, and John Breaux and Mary Landrieu, both of Louisiana.

Six Republicans voted in favor, Senators Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Susan Collins and Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Richard G. Lugar of Indiana and John S. McCain of Arizona.

I understand now; my source turned out to have been wrong.

WTF is wrong with some of those Democrats?

DTH

Statement out on this very Quickly!

"This is always framed as an environmental issue. It is, but it is also about our economy and our security. Global warming, if it goes unchecked, will have serious negative consequences for our economy in the coming decades"

Anyone know?

then 4 senators missed the vote or abstained.

I can't help but guess Gephardt and Kerry were two of them since they miss damn near all their votes.

But I believe Kerry was there to vote for it.

I think that Edwards was actually the only Democrat to miss the vote. Some people didn't vote and 2 missed it. I just like to make digs at both Gepfart and Skerry whenever I can because they like to lie about my ex governor all the time.