Good news: Clinton or Obama, McCain or Romney would depart sharply from Bush climate policies

[DeepModem Mom]

The Democrats, of course, offer much more hope!

WSJ: Climate on Agenda of Candidates
By REBECCA SMITH
January 31, 2008; Page A8

The narrowed field of presidential candidates increases the likelihood that the winner will favor stepped-up efforts to fight global warming and change how the nation uses energy. The leading contenders -- Sen. John McCain on the Republican side and Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the Democrats -- support legislation that would gradually cut greenhouse-gas emissions, a sharp departure from the Bush administration's approach.

But key differences remain between the parties. And while another Republican -- former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee -- supports emissions cuts, Republican former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is pushing more-modest measures.

The Republican candidates see energy security mostly as a supply-side challenge that can be solved by increasing oil and gas drilling, building nuclear power plants, developing so-called clean-coal technologies and helping innovators find technological fixes. Many worry about the cost and effectiveness of emissions-control efforts. Most favor drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Among Republicans, Mr. McCain, of Arizona, sees the greatest role for government.

Democrats focus more on the demand side. They see a central role for the government to put in place programs to cut oil, natural-gas and electricity use and bolster renewable energy. Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama both believe government should set mandatory targets to reduce corporate greenhouse-gas emissions, then allow companies to buy and sell permits to pollute, creating what is known as a cap-and-trade system.

Among Republicans, Mr. McCain is the most outspoken on the issue. In 2003 he broke with many in his party to sponsor greenhouse-gas legislation with Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, now an independent but at the time a Democrat; the legislation was unsuccessful. Mr. McCain hasn't co-sponsored more-recent efforts. His 2003 proposal -- which would have resulted in free emissions credits to big polluters like utilities -- was less stringent than the system currently supported by Sens. Clinton and Obama, one that called for auctioning the credits....

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120174290582030611.html

[Thrill]

1. I see no difference in those Repukes and Bush

They agree on Iraq. And McCain for some odd reason thinks the Economy will fix itself

[DeepModem Mom]

2. I agree. I think this is just a slight bit of daylight on the climate issue --

not nearly enough, of course.