Lieberman-Warner

Check out Brian Beutler on the state-of-play on the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill. The question I'm pondering about this bill is the role of the president. As best I can tell, Bush is remorselessly opposed to anything that would even be in the neighborhood of an adequate response to climate change. He opposes any mandatory reductions in carbon emissions, and preventing catastrophic climate change requires large mandatory reductions in carbon emissions.

This makes the Lieberman-Warner enterprise of trying to craft a more moderate, more business-friendly climate change plan that can attract broader support look possibly quixotic. We're not really talking about half a loaf today versus holding out for the full loaf tomorrow -- Bush isn't signing any kind of loaf. In essence, it's all kabuki, which is often the case in congress. But I don't understand what kind of kabuki it is and what the different groups are trying to accomplish.