Grist writer told "smog decision not about votes, but about terror of post-Citizens United money"

[highplainsdem]

From the Twitter account of Grist staff writer David Roberts:

http://twitter.com/#!/drgrist/status/109739264979386368

drgrist David Roberts
Senate staffer contacted me to let me know that smog decision not about votes, but about terror of post-Citizens United money. Feel better?



___


Editing to add that this apparently ties in with the Chamber of Commerce president saying that the White House "heeded our warning":

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1864962

[LonePirate]

1. The right wing will still come after him on environmental regulations despite today's decision

I swear there is nobody in this administration who thinks more than one minute into the future.

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. Who said this?

“At a time when so many people are hurting, we need to put the decisions about our energy future in to the hands of the people and their elected representatives.... EPA actions in this area would have enormous implications and these issues need to be handled carefully and appropriately dealt with by the Congress, not in isolation by a federal environmental agency"

Answer: Sherrod Brown, Carl Levin, and six other Democratic senators. It's from Sen. Rockefeller's home page. He's proud of his position.

Senator Brown has been suggested on these boards as an exemplary true progressive and a potential Obama primary challenger.

This is not just an Obama problem. This is Democratic rust-belt-state problem. This is a 'demagogue the EPA as anti-jobs, and flip the states (Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan) where the 2008 election was won and lost' problem.

[Angry Dragon]

3. I fail to see the difference

[johnaries]

4. What would a Senate Staffer know about a WH decision? And why

assume an ulterior motive in the first place? The ozone levels have sharply declined under current regulations. The "new" regulations were set to be revised in 2 years, anyway. and it would cost between 19 and 90 billion dollars. It makes perfect sense to wait at least until the revision study is finished.

[Davis_X_Machina]

5. If the staffer...

....was from the staff of one of the rust-belt Democrats who are terrified of the campaign consequences of ads touting EPA's alleged job-killing abilities, a great deal.

Because you may have been the very person who was tasked with asking the White House to make this largely symbolic decision this way.

[GoCubsGo]

6. Thom Hartmann just pointed that out, as well.

I'm not thrilled about this by any means. But, it's a great example of the ultimate reason to keep the rethugs out of the White House. I don't want them appointing Ruth Ginsberg's replacement. Or, anyone else on the Supreme Court who happens to retire or drop dead over the presidential term. And, it's the ultimate reason to work to get more and better Democrats elected. Time to end this kind of shit. Citizens United needs to be reversed BIG TIME.

[Davis_X_Machina]

7. Oh, great, another sellout.

Who's left?

There'll be no one safe left to listen to by Election Day except audiobooks.

[northoftheborder]

8. No, do not feel better, they will use money against him anyway.

[Davis_X_Machina]

9. It's not about the White House...

...Obama will raise a metric shit-ton of money. The Citzens United-related worry isn't about the White House -- it's down-ticket, it's about the Senate:

Running in 2012, from rust-belt and/or coal-mining states:

Stabenow of Michigan, Tester of Montana, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Add Webb’s open Virginia seat, and there’s the control of the Senate right there.