The Next Battle – Cap and Trade

This isn’t looking good.

Via Matt Yglesias:

Lisa Lerer’s Politico piece on how moderate Senate Democrats don’t want to do a cap-and-trade bill is extremely frustrating. Neither Mary Landrieu nor Ben Nelson nor Evan Bayh nor Kent Conrad nor Mark Pryor seems to want to say that they don’t think climate change is real. Nor do they want to say that they don’t think it’s a problem. Nor do they want to say that they don’t think it’s a problem caused by emissions of greenhouse gases. Nor do they want to deny that legally binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions are the only reliable way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

But it’s also clear that none of them want to say something like “voting for legally binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions would be the right thing to do, but for selfish reasons I choose not to.”

It’s a great piece – go read all of it.  Now, before this battle begins – technically, given the quotes in the article, it’s already begun – can we try and map out a strategy that doesn’t involve pitting progressive against progressive.  Yglesias sums it up perfectly.

It is difficult to deal with and passage of an economywide cap does seem unlikely. But, again, it’s only difficult because Senators are making it difficult. It’s only unlikely because Senators are making it unlikely. If these guys don’t want to vote yes on a clean energy bill, then they should say what their reasons are, not engage in this kind of odd prognostication as if they’re detached observers of the scene.

So… if anyone has a way to make Mary Landrieu, Ben Nelson, Evan Bayh, Kent Conrad and Mark Pryor change their stance, speak now.  Sadly, I’m not seeing it.