Republicans try to save energy bill

[salin]

Republicans try to save energy bill

By DAVID IVANOVICH
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Faced with continued opposition to a comprehensive energy bill, Republican lawmakers are considering attaching a slimmed-down version of the legislation to the ever-popular highway bill.

With Democrats determined to block key aspects of the energy bill, and some Republicans objecting to its price tag, the legislation's proponents have been struggling to try to salvage what they can of the measure.

The highway bill is an obvious target for such a strategy because the legislation is loaded with lots of goodies members want to bring home for their constituents.

more: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/2379801

[dusty64]

1. Hopefully this disgusting

corporate welfare bill will die the nasty death it deserves.

[salin]

2. I find this item to be a very interesting development.

I have been getting google news alerts on the energy bill for months.

There has been a big push in the past month to revive the monstrosity of a bill. Big P.R. Including: Sen Daschle promising to revive and push for its passage *grrr... but that has to do with reelection and the perks for ethanol* Then a push from Bush in the state of the union address.

More regional press coverage has been positive (editorials claiming how we NEED to revive and pass this bill.)

Yet - this item suggests that for all of those pushes - including a big renewed push from the White House - that the senate GOP knows that they can't pass the bill. Politically speaking - that is HUGE.

So instead they will try to break parts of the bill up - and attach it to other bills? Again from a strategy point - this signals a failure for the GOP.

From a point of trying to stop the gazillion awful provisions of the bill - this is not a good sign - as it will be harder to track where provisions suddenly show up, and thus be harder to fight them.

[0007]

3. Daschle promising to revive and push for its passage, WTF"

:grr:

[salin]

4. disappointing, isn't it.

For him it seems to be the conflict between roles of political representative (and the economic farm interests in his state, and his upcoming election) and his role as party leader in the senate. I understand it - but I think in the end it is poor strategy. There are so many provisions in the bill - that he could use in the election that would gain him MORE support for fighting the bill than the support he has for pushing the bill from the ethanol industry.

Sometimes I just want to go to dc and shake some strategic sense into the democratic strategists working around the hill.

[salin]

5. kick - important glimpse at a major legislative shift.