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Wednesday, June 9, 2010
News S.C. Sen. Lindsey Graham won't sign climate legislation he helped write
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 10:54 AM
Anyone else tired of whiny, hypocritical Republicans sulking and pitching fits because they don't get their way?
Sen. Lindsey Graham's latest hissy fit is more proof that bipartisanship is a myth that will never thrive in reality.
The bottom line for all of these double-talking folks, Graham included, is that they're more focused on being re-elected than they are on doing what's right for our country. They're not brave enough to actually stand behind their beliefs and values, do what they've got to do in office and then move on. No, they're far too interested in their political careers to do what's right so, instead, they choose to do what they perceive to be most popular so they can stay in office. That's no way to govern.
Lindsey Graham -- an original cosponsor of the Senate climate bill -- has been backing away from that bill for a while. Now, according to CongressDaily, he's gone entirely:Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., today said he would vote against a climate change strategy he helped develop with Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., citing new changes that further restrict offshore oil and gas drilling and the bill's impact on the transportation sector.
Yes, you read that right: He says he's bailing from the bill because, in the wake of one of the greatest offshore oil drilling disasters of all time, a bill devoted to reducing climate pollution does not expand offshore oil drilling enough. Such is the Bizarro World of the U.S. Senate.
Graham offers some other justifications for bailing, but as Brad says, they are transparently ridiculous -- mostly objecting to provisions of the bill that he was instrumental in shaping. He's retreating to the now-familiar Republican position of "we need to start over," which is their way of opposing everything without looking totally nihilistic. He's also saying some borderline-denialist (but mostly just incoherent) things about climate change, as Kate Sheppard details.
Read the rest of this Grist.org post, by David Roberts, here.
Here's Sen. Graham back when he was interested in problem solving:
Here's Sen. Graham proclaiming that the 'green economy' is coming:
Here's Sen. Graham — three years ago — talking about the need to be energy independent and the need to "get away from fossil fuels and fuel sources."
Further reading: Officials: Turnout low to moderate in SC primaries — WCNC.com
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