No one could have predicted that Lindsey Graham would play Lucy to John Kerry’s Charlie Brown.
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) abandoned his effort to push a climate and energy bill Saturday, saying he would continue only if Democratic leaders promise to relinquish plans to bring up immigration legislation first.
Graham’s departure likely dooms any chance of passing a climate bill this year. He is the sole Republican working with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) on a compromise proposal that they had planned to unveil Monday.
I have no idea whether or not Sen. Graham will make good on his threat, but it doesn’t pay to trust John McCain’s best buddy when you’re trying to get some bipartisanship. Either climate change is important or its not. Withholding support for a climate bill because of the order in which it is prioritized doesn’t even make a modicum of sense.