You mean the political impacts ON ENERGY POLICY will be imperceptible. The political impacts on politicians themselves could be decisive: it has hurt Obama measurably, it will either kill Jindal's Presidential prospects or keep him alive, and it has already propelled Barbour into being a favorite Villager "mention" for 2012.

What disaster? Where? What mess? It's not mine!

Thoughts of a heroin addict, or a nation addicted to oil?

Heroin dealers kill their clients, while it seems oil companies kill relevant, reasonable legislative responses to their dealings! -Kevo

Drowning Miami...

Republicans still won't let the Senate vote on the bill, and the public demand has not changed noticeably.

Les brutes sure have their panties in a bunch over LeBron.
Kind of makes you wonder what the brutes on Easter Island were talking about too, doesn't it?

"And yet, nothing. Republicans still won't let the Senate vote on the bill, and the public demand has not changed noticeably."

Yes the Republicans are the minority and Harry (Milk Toast) Reid is too damn lazy to make them actually filibuster so he rolls over and plays dead at the mere threat of the filibuster.

How is this the Republicans fault?

We've been talking about pollution, global warming, our addiction to oil, running out of oil, and the dangers of the oil economy since I was a kid in the early 70s. What's another forty years gonna hurt?

Of course it has everything going for it - when one considers the metrics that exist outside of the world of the money men. Limitless, clean power via cold fusion could be available, but the money men would make sure that it is hidden and unheard of.

The support is there, but not from those who make the ultimate decisions for this country. They want to hoard their money, keep the oil flowing, the coal mountaintops topless, and the natural gas streaming. They want to keep their gravy train running on time; they care not for what is best for the planet - only what is best for them. And they own our government and thus the votes for change.

For a long while now, I've thought the environmental establishment was the political equivalent of a cheap date for Democrats. Like the civil rights movement and the black vote, Democrats could count on environmentalists to side with them no matter how much benign neglect Democrats showed their agenda when in power.

Now I'm starting to think "cheap date" isn't a strong enough simile. Environmentalists are much more like battered spouses, returning again and again to their abuser based on another promise to do good. And nothing in President Obama's June 15 oil spill and energy speech should offer environmentalists any hope that this is going to change

Is Obama mute? Comatose? Dead, maybe? His laid-back style just ain't cuttin' it. And he's letting opportunity after opportunity go by the wayside as his presidency, and the country with it, slides into a sinkhole.

It is sad, but George Bush and the GOP showed more urgency to save Terry Schiavo -- a woman with a skull full of cerebral soup -- than the Democrats show with regard to energy and climate change (or anything short of passing TARP).

As Fed Up said, Democrats are choosing not to force the GOP to actually filibuster legislation. Leaving aside the fact that an actual filibuster by the GOP would be difficult to sustain in the face of public pressure...

The minority cannot sustain a filibuster indefinitely, even in theory. Set aside a couple of weeks. Break out the cots. Let each GOP senator read the telephone book a couple of times. Filibuster ends. Pass bill with 50+ votes.

Anyone who tells you that the above is not a viable option for every single filibuster threat is either lying or doesn't understand jack shit about how a filibuster works.

Terraformer wrote: " Limitless, clean power via cold fusion could be available, but the money men would make sure that it is hidden and unheard of."

Money men are not blocking the development of cold fusion. Academic rivals are. Mainly, DoE scientists are trying to stop DoD scientists from doing cold fusion research. The money men might start blocking it if it emerges from the laboratory, but that has not happened yet.

Cold fusion is much closer to becoming a practical source of energy than most people realize. If the effect can be controlled it will lower the cost of energy by a factor of ~1,000 and put the fossil fuel companies out of business practically overnight, probably before they can react.

The research is supported by the governments of China, Japan and Italy. In the U.S. nearly all funding is blocked by politics, except for the DoD DARPA. See:

U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, "Technology Forecast: Worldwide Research on Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions Increasing and Gaining Acceptance" DIA-08-0911-003, 13 November 2009

http://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/BarnhartBtechnology.pdf

This document was written by a group of 90 senior scientists at the DoD who are fed up the politics and want to do research. It would be a big help if members of the public would support them. See also the CBS "60 Minutes" broadcast on cold fusion. You will find ~900 papers on this subject at LENR-CANR.org.

It is probably only an afterthought in any case . Our dear , concerned , friends on the right would likely prefer every sort of real and imagined destruction before considering that Jimmy Carter was an actual person . Getting past that bump would then still pose the sort of intractable problem that is usually addressed as "impossible" , as in giving Jimmy Carter anything outside of jeering , hoots and howls .
The imprecations whispered or shouted from right wing microphones and other dependable , comforting , right wing media has counted Carter as the worst president since Belshazzar . Belshazzar , though , was appointed and had the good sense to disappear after his folly caused a change in those good times .
I don't forget my own hardened attitude towards the Carter administration . Never the less good ole Jimmy was the man . He determined the course was set for disaster and began the corrections . These were dropped by warm and sunny Saint Raygonzo no worries Magnus Perfectus . Simply the bestest and most wonderfullest president of forever and ever . Now we enjoy the happily ever after he left us .
So to consent in considering reappraising the one perfect scapegoat , spoiling the perfect warmth of the smile of the god like man with an ice cold heart . The calcified perceptions frozen in the sycophantic minds of the wondrous man who changed thoughtful , considerate dialogue into our bumper sticker sloganeering .
This will happen when the stones marking the eternal resting places of these stalwarts are worn , polished smooth from climate change .

Check out greeman's latest:

http://www.youtube.com/user/greenman3610
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Climate Denial Crock of the Week - Climate Change and National Security - Part 2 From: greenman3610 | July 12, 2010 |
Our continued dependence on fossil fuels compromises the security of every nation.
Climate Deniers align themselves with those that would keep us on the cycle of boom and bust, terror and war, shortage and famine.
But the world is waking up, and the professionals who take a clear eyed view of the scientific realities are leading the way. ... (more info)

The BP catastrophe tells us exactly what a catastrophe America is in economically, in education and globally. The spewing of oil in the Gulf is the same as the spewing of toxic rhetoric from politicians. The Corporate lack of response is indicative of the unbelievable corruption of America. BP does not care about the "small people "and neither does most representatitves and senators.These representatives of Congress supporting corporations should lose their jobs, benefits, pensions right now. Perhaps they may understand better how most Americans are suffering.

The support is there, but not those who make the final decision in this country. They want to earn money, keep the oil flowing, coal topless peaks, and natural gas streams. They want to track the source of money, no matter what is best for the planet - only what is best for them. And our government, and then vote for change.

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