The climate movement had a friend, one could say a leader in the US Senate, and that person was John McCain.
For the past 5 to 8 years it was McCain who drove legislation to create a Cap and Trade plan within the US to help curb CO2 emissions. In fact several bills have had his name on them, including S.280 in 2007 which included not only Senator McCain as a sponsor, but also Senator Obama. Yes McCain and Obama helped sponsor the same Cap and Trade bill.
Image from ZUMA Press
Yet last summer, after the House had passed its climate legislation and the debate was to be picked up in the Senate, John McCain was nowhere to be seen. In fact it seemed as if on the climate bill McCain was awol. How could this be? After being a leader on the topic, why would McCain hide from the discussion and then in the end come out against a bill that he had personally worked so hard on for years?
There is not a real answer – other than maybe what we would call in grade school – being a spoiled sport, you know, a sore looser. Even with all of the ups and downs of last year, and the many mistakes made by the Senate and House leadership in excluding republicans from serious engagement, Senator McCain alone could have made a real impact if he had stood by the cause on climate legislation. He did not, and it is a shame. It feels as if dislike for the other party – be it D or R is so great right now in our nations capitol that bad and dangerous consequences are already upon us.
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