House Passes Energy Legislation

The House of Representatives passed an energy legislation that will cut tax breaks to oil companies and requires the automotive industry to increase fuel economy 40% to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.The bill will also mandate that electric utility companies generate 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources of energy such as wind, biomass or solar power by 2020. That mandate, and the tax breaks, were dealbreakers with the White House, who threatens to veto it.

The bill got the support of 14 Republicans;
Mary Bono (R-California)
Mike Castle (R-Delaware)
Jim Gerlach (R-Pennsylvania)
Robin Hayes (R-North Carolina)
Tim Johnson (R-Illinois)
Mark Kirk (R-Illinois)
Ray LaHood (R-Illinois)
Frank LoBiondo (R-New Jersey)
Jim Ramstad (R-Minnesota)
Dave Reichert (R-Washington)
Illeana Ros-Lehitnen (R-Florida)
Christopher Shays (R-Connecticut)
Chris Smith (R-New Jersey)
Greg Walden (R-Oregon)

7 Democrats opposed the bill, mostly from Southern oil states;
John Barrow (D-Georgia)
Dan Boren (D-Oklahoma)
Allen Boyd (D-Florida)
Gene Green (D-Texas)
Nick Lampson (D-Texas)
Jim Marshall (D-Georgia)
Charlie Melacon (D-Louisiana)

Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell warn the bill may not get passed the Senate, for no other reason than the Republicans will filibuster...again. Reid is ordering the parade of Presidential candidates back to Washington for the vote.

And The Winner Is....

Al Gore

The former Vice President has won the Nobel Peace Prize,

He will share the prize with U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for his efforts against climate change.

Gore joins a slew of other famous world advocates including Theodore Roosevelt, Dr. Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Lech Walesa, Desmond Tutu, Yitzhak Rabin, and Jimmy Carter as winners of the prestigious award.

Tornado In New York

Those of you who doubt climate change is really happening should have lived through what we here in New York just experienced.

A tornado in Brooklyn just seemed a little too "The Day After Tomorrow" to me.

House Goes Green

The House stayed in session one more day today and passed their own energy policy that reallocates $16 billion from oil companies to renewable energy.

The President is threatening the veto.

11 Democrats opposed the bill, notice from where;

John Barrow (D-Georgia)
Dan Boren (D-Oklahoma)
Henry Cuellar (D-Texas)
Chet Edwards (D-Texas)
Charlie Gonzalez (D-Texas)
Gene Green (D-Texas)
Nick Lampson (D-Texas)
Jim Matheson (D-Utah)
Charlie Melacon (D-Louisiana)
Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas)
Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas)

9 Republicans supported it;

Mike Castle (R-Delaware)
Mike Ferguson (R-New Jersey)
Wayne Gilchrest (R-Maryland)
Mark Kirk (R-Illinois)
Frank LoBiondo (R-New Jersey)
Jim Ramstad (R-Minnesota)
Dave Reichert (R-Washington)
Chris Shays (R-Connecticut)
Chris Smith (R-New Jersey)

The Heat Is On...Soon

I'm glad I have a pool.

Unlike the generations before us, we won't have to retire to Florida.

Rove vs. Crowe

Karl Rove's response to the war of words with Sheryl Crow at the White House Correspondant's Dinner;

"She came over to insult me and she succeeded." -Karl Rove

Even if I did believe it, is my heart supposed to bleed for you?

Sheryl Crow and Lauren Davis, co-producer of "An Inconvienent Truth" went over to Karl Rove to strike up a conservation about the administration's global warming policies, or lack thereof. Davis and Rove's conversation got testy, when Crow stepped in to calm things down...to no avail.

Crow told Rove that he works for her, he responded that he works for the American people...of which both Crow and Davis are...albeit famous American people. Did Rove forget that they are voting American citizens? Or was this a Freudian slip showing Rove's feelings that all Americans who disagree with him...aren't truly Americans?

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Al Gore, the new Bob Geldof?

How 1980's is this?

Live Earth, this July. I have to admit, I like these big benefit concerts. I don't think they can hurt and drawing attention to major issues politicians tend to ignore is good. Besides, a concert in Antarctica is something I want to see.

Al Gore is a sly one. When he couldn't spread the word about the dangers of global warming by getting elected President, he utilized a means of communication that connects with everyone, young and old. He produced two movies and now is putting together a massive concert.

I'm not sure how much Live Aid worked for the African famine in the 1980's, but when we mention Live Aid, we remember why it was made...so the issue got attention. Any attention brought to this issue is good.

Still, I think it would be interesting to see if these celebrities show up at their anti-global warming concerts in gas-guzzling Hummer limos