Blanche Lincoln Cosponsors Dirty Air Act — Asshat

<a href=”http://butt-trumpet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/lincoln_s.png”>Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) announced today she is co-sponsoring Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) resolution of disapproval to block regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act:

I am very concerned about the burden that EPA regulation of carbon emissions could put on our economy and have questions about the actual benefit EPA regulations would have on the environment. Heavy-handed EPA regulation, as well as the current cap and trade bills in Congress, will cost us jobs and put us at an even greater competitive disadvantage to China, India and others.

Like Murkowski and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Lincoln is demonstrating a shocking disregard for her state’s interests, the health of her constituents, and a misunderstanding of why America has been losing jobs to China and India. Her support for the Dirty Air Act is an act of allegiance to polluters.

The entire state of Arkansas is a disaster area because of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding from record rainfall that occurred throughout 2009. As warming continues, Arkansas’ climate will become even more disastrous — something Lincoln as the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee should understand.

China has already forged ahead with building its own low-carbon economy, laying the foundation for clean-energy jobs and innovation, with a command-and-control economy combined with massive public investment. As venture capitalist John Doerr and GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt warn, “China’s commitment to developing clean energy technologies and markets is breathtaking,” but:

Right now, the United States has no long-term market signal to tell companies and consumers that it values low-carbon energy. It has no policies to discourage sending hundreds of billions of dollars a year overseas for energy. It does not offer adequate sustained R&D funding to be a serious competitor in this huge business.

Denying the science of global warming will prevent the United States from being competitive in the future — something Lincoln should understand.

Lincoln has taken nearly a million dollars in polluter cash, including $10,000 from the right-wing extremists at Koch Industries.

It seems pretty clear what Lincoln is capable of understanding.

Wonk Room » Blanche Lincoln Cosponsors Murkowski’s Dirty Air Act.