Murkowski Fails to Make Us More Oil Dependent

Lisa Murkowski of Alaska wanted to block the EPA from regulating carbon. Several democrats supported her. Ezra Klein summarizes:

So the good news, I guess, is that Murkowski's resolution went down. The bad news is that in a 60-vote Senate, it's hard to imagine a climate bill, or even a mere energy bill that does something about coal-fired plants, getting through.

None of these politicians can think past their noses.

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Rockefeller Says Howard Dean Sulking Over Healthcare

I'll say.
Howard Dean is saying healthcare should be stopped in its tracks. He's tearing the bill to shreds, saying there isn't enough reform. Now is the time for democrats to pull it together, despite their apparent need to self destruct. Jay Rockefeller says there is enough in the bill to support. The bill can be improved upon later:

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Jay Rockefeller Speaks on Public Option Failure

Rockefeller said he got 8 votes, better than he expected. He said the fight is not yet over.

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Senate Panel Votes Against Public Option

A key Senate panel on Tuesday voted against creating a new government health insurance plan to compete with the private market.

The 15-to-8 vote in the Senate Finance Committee could forecast the fate of the public option in the Senate as a whole.

The outcome was expected but still a defeat for liberals who view government-sponsored insurance for the middle class as a key component of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. MSNBC

Now, they're debating a Chuck Schumer amendment, a supposed conservative public option -- whatever that is. Update: Shumer's option also failed. Watch the Senators debate health reform:

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Some context:

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Yet Another Newspaper Endorsement

from west virginia's charleston gazette:

Obama appeals to the innate decency in all groups of people, beyond party lines, without personal grandiosity. He fosters a desire to restore America's finest values of honor and fairness.

In endorsing Obama, Sen. Jay Rockefeller pointed out that the young Illinois lawyer had to work hard - "there was nothing sheltered about his life" - but he rose to national stature. Rockefeller said Obama was far-sighted enough to oppose President Bush's unwise plan to invade Iraq while most others, including rival Hillary Clinton, supported the invasion.

"The indisputable fact is, Barack Obama was right about Iraq when many of us were wrong," the West Virginia senator said. "It was a tough call and the single greatest national security question - and mistake - of our time. ... What matters most in the Oval Office is sound judgment and decisive action. It's about getting it right on crucial national security questions the first time, and every time."

pennsylvania newspaper endorsements