For most of this year I have thought that it would prove impossible to pass a climate change bill through the Senate. I even agreed, initially, with the common wisdom that the oil leak in the Gulf made passage less likely because it removed expanded drilling from the grab-bag of goodies Obama provided in his effort to win enough support to defeat a filibuster. But Harry Reid has been very smart. Last week he instructed his committee chairs to come up with legislation to address the crisis in the Gulf and add it to the pending bill. The idea is to make a vote against the climate bill a vote against fixing the problems that led to the Deepwater Horizon explosion and its failed cleanup effort. This is playing offense in a major way, and its not what I would have predicted from watching Harry Reid operate over the last four years. It’s left the Republicans looking very weak.
A Republican senator on Sunday said he would work with Democrats on limited energy proposals but warned against a comprehensive energy and climate bill that congressional leaders want to push this summer.
“We need to be very careful here,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” as he responded to a call from Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) that Congress use the Gulf Coast oil spill to advance sweeping energy and climate legislation.
Cornyn urged Kerry to think small.
“I think rather than try to hit a grand slam home run, I’d like to work with Sen. Kerry and others to try to hit some singles,” said Cornyn, who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He mentioned nuclear power, improved battery technology and expanded natural gas production as areas that could form the basis of an energy bill.
Kerry’s response was perfect:
“We want to reach across the aisle and we want to reach accommodation, but let me tell you, you know, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams and Babe Ruth never stepped up to bat in the World Series and said I want to try to hit a single,” Kerry said…
Let the Republicans play the role of Phil Rizzuto, just trying to scoot out an infield single. The Democrats are swinging for the fences. That kind of imagery suits the Democrats very well because the public is frustrated beyond belief at the federal government’s inability to stop the ecological damage that is unfolding in the Gulf. They will be furious with procedural obstructions on a bill designed to prevent a repeat of the Deepwater Horizon fiasco.
The Republicans have a remarkable ability to stay united in opposition, but this is a no-win situation. They may just figure out that they can win more by losing than by successfully filibustering energy reform.
