All the names on Obama's "short list" of running mates are not created equal when it comes to energy policy.

In fact, there's a tremendous contrast between Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.  

Although the two have much in common politically, they've gone in opposite directions when it comes to dealing with one of the most important aspects of America's energy future: what is the role of coal?

One has been a visionary.  One just a well-meaning but very conventional politician.  

Presidential candidate Barack Obama caused a commotion last year by promoting the controversial idea of turning coal into liquid fuel.  The idea was controversial because the process could produce more global warming pollution.

Obama appeared to back off somewhat following criticism that liquid coal would undermine his own position (shared by Hillary Clinton and John Edwards) that global warming pollution should be reduced. Many of us wrote it off as a rookie mistake.

But now, with the Nevada caucuses looming, the Obama-coal connection has resurfaced.  

General Electric has been praised by some environmental groups for a proactive approach to global warming. (The company eyes big bucks from sales of everything from windmills to nuclear reactors).

And GE relentlessly touts its "Ecoimagination" campaign, especially on GE-owned NBC.

But today's Wall Street Journal reveals that GE is lobbying behind closed doors against important EPA standards aimed at cleaning up dangerous diesel train pollution.  More at  http://blogforcleanair.blogspot.com/

Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the soon-to-be-deposed chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, is planning one last hurrah, and it’s going to be a doozy:

Inhofe is planning a hearing next week (likely Wednesday, Dec. 6). The theme is "global warming and the media." Yes, Inhofe is planning to blame the media for its role in informing the public about global warming. More on this at http://blogforcleanair.blogspot.com/...

Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said today he didn't want to "deal with global warming" because he can't tell the stratosphere from the troposphere.  The transcript of today's court case is at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/...

Senator John Warner (R-VA) dropped a bombshell this afternoon, announcing he would try to bump Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) from his perch as the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Inhofe vows to fight to retain his post.

The panel's new chair, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), has promised hearings on global warming starting in January. Inhofe is infamous for declaring global warming a hoax. Warner has seemed open to some sort of plan to limit global warming pollutants, though he has not backed a specific legislative plan.

Their statements are available at http://blogforcleanair.blogspot.com/

It seems like only yesterday that Robert Bork was trying to get a seat on the Supreme Court.  

Now, he's telling the High Court that Massachusetts, New York, California and other states don't have any right to bring a case about global warming.

In a brief (actually written by lobbyists for Southern Company, the big electric power company and global warming polluter), Bork argues that the states (plus New York City, Baltimore and environmental groups) don't have standing to sue.

 

For six years the Bush White House has distorted science to protect the power industry and other polluters from global warming controls.  

Now they are at it again -- this time with national soot standards that won't require much in the way of cleanup.  

In the process, the EPA disregarded its own science advisers, as well as that radical group, the AMA.  More on this at  http://cleanairwatchpressroom.blogspot.com/...

President Bush has named anti-regulatory ghoul Susan Dudley as the new regulatory czarina at the White House Office of Management and Budget.  http://www.whitehouse.gov/...

Dudley has been director of regulatory studies at the Mercatus Center, an alleged "think tank" underwritten by big polluters including Koch Industries. She has opposed tougher standards for smog and cleaner gasoline, among many other things.

Putting Dudley in this job is about as appropriate as naming Mel Gibson as a special Mideast Peace Envoy.  

An ugly scene today before a Senate subcommittee, as five Republican senators assailed any effort by the U.S. EPA to set tougher national health standards for deadly particle soot.

Ohio Senator George Voinovich, the ringleader of this effort to pressure EPA, suggested at one point that it might be "cheaper to buy everyone an air conditioner" rather than clean up the air.

More on this at  http://blogforcleanair.blogspot.com/

Key Republicans today axed a "Sense of the Congress" resolution expressing concern about global warming from spending legislation for the Environmental Protection Agency.  

They knocked it out on a technicality.

Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, made a procedural point of order against the provision, claiming it constitutes legislation on an appropriations measure. The House Rules Committee permitted the maneuver following a plea by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas).

Key Republicans today axed a "Sense of the Congress" resolution expressing concern about global warming from spending legislation for the Environmental Protection Agency.  

They knocked it out on a technicality.

Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, made a procedural point of order against the provision, claiming it constitutes legislation on an appropriations measure. The House Rules Committee permitted the maneuver following a plea by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas).

The Catholic Church is putting on a full-court lobbying press to kill Maryland legislation involving pedophile priests.  

The legislation would allow more time for victims to file suits against sex abusers.  Today's Washington Post (see below) reports on some of the disgusting details of this lobbying blitz.

One significant detail not covered: how much money the church spends each year on legal fees to defend these monsters.

There are two excellent stories this morning - one in the Washington Post and the other in the Wall Street Journal - both on the link between key members of Congress and influential lobbyists who raise money for them.  

I'd like to focus your attention, if I may, on the subject of the Journal story by Brody Mullins and the link to dirty air.

The Journal looks at one Gregg Hartley, former aide to Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and now a lobbyist who also spends time as a fundraiser for Blunt.  "Mr. Hartley is now assisting Mr. Blunt in his bid to succeed Rep. Tom DeLay as House majority leader," the Journal notes.

A lot of kooky right-wingers attacked Clean Air Watch for suggesting that the EPA should check the air for toxic lead pollution at NASCAR races. (Check out anklebitingpundits.com)

But today's New York Times reports that NASCAR has agreed to stop using leaded gasoline because of concerns about the health risk.  And today's Dayton Beach News-Journal notes that even NASCAR drivers and crew were getting worried about the situation  http://www.news-journalonline.com/...

--Frank O'Donnell, Clean Air Watch, www.cleanairwatch.org

Just a quick note to remind of the anti-environmental activities of a scandal-plagued lobbying firm in the news today.

The Alexander Strategy Group, a firm with links to lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Rep. Tom DeLay is going out of business.

Using its connections to DeLay, the firm lobbied to block better fuel economy standards.

Today the Bush administration added lies about air pollution and its impact on health to its list of deceptions.

It is now officially telling the public that polluted air known to be unhealthful is actually safe to breathe.

The issue involves fine particle pollution -- invisible emissions that come from coal burning, diesel engines and other smokestack industries.

Denny Hastert's new oil-bashing blog is a joke.

http://www.speaker.gov/...

In late July, Hastert touted the new energy bill:  

 "This bill addresses the burden that higher gasoline prices place on American consumers by reducing our dependency on foreign oil."

We all know how that worked out.

Last week the Bush administration was lobbying Congress to kneecap clean-air controls at refineries.

Today the administration used those same controls to announce a cleanup at seven ExxonMobil refineries, which will also expand production as part of the deal.

Aside the from fact that the administration obviously delayed this settlement (initial action was brought by the Clinton administration) to influence Congress, this shows we don't need to weaken clean air controls at refineries.
--Frank O'Donnell, Clean Air Watch

http://www.blogforcleanair.blogspot.com/