Open Text: Exact Phrase:

According to its proponents and supporters, particularly among the Congress, the most important issue of our time, the one issue that eclipses all others, more important than war, peace, famine, flood, earthquake or pestilence, is global warming.

After all, if its proponents believe what they are selling as fact to be fact, then failure really isn't an option. Most of the projections, (if they really believe them), forecast global doom.

Without a sustainable environment, famine, floods, earthquakes, pestilences, wars, etc., are irrelevant. If the proponents of global warming are right, then we are speaking of nothing less than the continued survival of the human race.

If you really believed that to be the case, what wouldn't you do to prevent it? What price is too high to pay to ensure your children survive?

Suppose, for a second, one of your children has been kidnapped. What price is too high a price to pay to save his life?

Hillary Clinton says she supports whatever measures might be necessary to combat global warming. So does the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama.

GOP nominee John McCain also claims the environment is in danger and that global warming is a clear and present danger to continued human existence.

Yesterday, the Senate voted on a landmark bill that would have required America to make deep cuts in 'greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming.' Co-sponsor Senator Barbara Boxer called the bill "a milestone in the fight against global warming.

The legislation could not have been more bi-partisan; its co-sponsors were Democrat Barbara Boxer, Republican John Warner, and Independent Joe Lieberman.

So, we have a bi-partisan bill aimed at preventing the eventual extinction of the human race -- certainly an important issue, if one believes the global warming scenario as presented.

But the bill failed to achieve even a simple majority. Only 48 Senators voted in favor of the bill -- not enough to pass it.
However, the six senators who didn't show up for the vote all say they supported it. Had they voted, the bill would have achieved a simple majority of 54-36, says Barbara Boxer, which would have given the bill cloture.

Democrats accused Republicans of filibustering, then pulled the bill from the floor after failing to invoke cloture, which would have limited debate in the following days.

One can only assume that those six senators had more pressing issues to deal with than a vote on saving the human race for extinction. Either that, or they don't REALLY believe the planet is in as much danger as Hillary, or Obama or even John McCain say it is in their stump speeches.

Senator Obama says he believes that global warming is "one of the most serious problems facing our generation." When the Dems pulled it from the floor, he expressed his disappointment by issuing the following statement:

"As this week's debate on climate change has unfolded, the American people and those watching us around the world had every reason to hope that we would act. Every credible scientist and expert believes action is necessary. This is critical and long overdue legislation that represents a good first step in addressing one of the most serious problems facing our generation."

Senator John McCain is the lead author of a Senate proposal to reduce carbon emissions by 65% by 2050. During a GOP debate, he said,

"We ought to be investing in alternate energy sources. Recently, there was a group of retired military officers who said climate change and energy independence is a national security issue. It is."

Hillary Clinton (who is still a player, delegate count notwithstanding) supports an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. She also proposed a $50 billion R&D fund for energy efficiency and alternative energy; oil companies would have to pay into the fund or invest in clean energy themselves.

They are all three firmly on record as believing that climate change is among the most serious problems facing America and the world in the near future unless 'something' is done. One must give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they believe what they are saying.

Especially since the solution would be so expensive -- the latest estimate is $45 trillion (ten times the US annual Gross Domestic Product) and a partial surrender of sovereignty over to the United Nations Panel on Climate Change.

So they must believe it. But if we are to give them the benefit of the doubt, then it is reasonable and fair to ask McCain, Obama and Clinton: "Why didn't you show up to vote?"

Senator Barbara Boxer tried to put the best face on the bill's collapse due to lack of interest, saying that, if the six AWOL senators had been present, they would have voted in favor of it.

Therefore, she says, "It's clear a majority of the Senate wants to act." (Sure they do. Just not enough to vote on it.)

For the record, I'm relieved that the bill didn't pass. It was little more than a 'climate tax' that would raise the price of energy even higher than it is now, by creating fictional 'cap and spend' system that would allow companies to buy tradeable pollution allowances.

If a company doesn't use all its pollution allowance, it can then sell it to another company that exceeds its own allowance.
Here's how THAT works.

Suppose that the government suddenly introduced gas rationing. You get a ration fifty gallons, and so does your neighbor. Altogether, that's 100 gallons. You use up yours, but your neighbor doesn't need all of his. So you can buy his unused ration and use it yourself.

Now, some Grade Two math -- nothing too complicated - after all, this IS the Senate we're talking about.

How many gallons were rationed? 100. How many people was that 100 gallons rationed to? Two. How much gas was used? 100 gallons. How many people used it? Two.

Total energy savings? (Umm, WHAT answer did YOU come up with?)

But the fact that it is a not-very-elaborate con is not the point. The point is that both candidates for the White House swear it is the most important issue of our time -- but not important enough for them to show up to vote on. (Even though their not showing up killed the bill.)

Even more interesting was the fact that none of Obama's Senate colleagues (all of whom voted in favor of it) seemed even a little upset that he put his own campaign ahead of the 'most important issue of our time.

Even Hillary, who is currently the black sheep of the Democratic family, escaped criticism by her colleagues for ignoring the most important issue of our time.

The Democrats didn't even criticize McCain for putting his own presidential campaign ahead of the survival of the human race.

Because THAT is what the Democrats, a handful of GOP senators, and John McCain all claim they believe is at stake -- the continued survival of the human race.

And IF the candidates really, really believed it, then one would assume it would be important enough to take time out to drop by the Senate and cast their vote to save the world!

Since they didn't, it is fair to assume that they don't really care what happens to the next generation. Or, they already know it is all really an elaborate political con game aimed at advancing a red herring argument to hide some secret agenda.

Something doesn't smell right. And it isn't the greenhouse gases.

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