The bill stinks, but let’s pass it!

There is much in the House cap-and-trade energy bill that just passed that I absolutely hate. It is too weak in key areas and way too complicated in others. A simple, straightforward carbon tax would have made much more sense than this Rube Goldberg contraption. It is pathetic that we couldn’t do better. It is appalling that so much had to be given away to polluters. It stinks. It’s a mess. I detest it.
Now let’s get it passed in the Senate and make it law.
Why? Because, for all its flaws, this bill is the first comprehensive attempt by America to mitigate climate change by putting a price on carbon emissions. Rejecting this bill would have been read in the world as America voting against the reality and urgency of climate change and would have undermined clean energy initiatives everywhere.

How about we send a signal to the world that we’re no longer going to waste money on ineffective programs, financed by debt to China? The good thing about President Obama is that if the Obama Energy Tax does fail in the Senate, he is such a great speaker that I’m sure he can go give a big speech on a melting iceberg or something and convince the world of our true intentions.