Obama fires latest salvo in war on coal

OBAMA FIRES LATEST SALVO IN WAR ON COAL
That loud bang heard in the wee hours today was President Obama’s most recent broadside in the administration’s war on coal. With lawmakers returning to Washington today for a lame-duck session before Republicans take control of Congress, the president touted a climate change deal with China that is certain to deepen battle lines over the administration’s environmental goals. Even after liberal environmentalist Tom Steyer poured $75 million dollars to promote climate change only to see Democrats suffer crushing losses – particularly in coal-producing states – the president seems determined aggressively pursue his agenda through executive action and agency regulations. The deal with China, which leans heavily on EPA and other agency mandates that industry says cost jobs, is one more sign that Obama is ignoring an electorate focused on improving the economy. And like his go-it-alone threats on immigration, while this move may appeal to his base, it also further poisons the well with Congress at a time American voters say they want less politics and more results.

AP: “President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that the U.S. has set a new goal to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by between 26 percent and 28 percent over the next 11 years as part of a climate change agreement with China.  The new target is a drastic increase from earlier in Obama’s presidency, when he pledged to cut emissions by 17 percent by 2020. By contrast, Obama’s counterpart, Xi Jinping, did not pledge any reductions by a specific date, but rather set a target for China’s emissions to peak by 2030, or earlier if possible. Xi also pledged to increase the share of energy that China will derive from sources other than fossil fuels.”

[“This unrealistic plan, that the president would dump on his successor, would ensure higher utility rates and far fewer jobs.” – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in a statement.]

Dems’ float Hail Mary vote on pipeline to save Landrieu – Despite the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee cancelling its ad buys in Louisiana, Democrats are eying a desperation play that dangles a key GOP sought vote and in the process may save embattled Sen. Mary Landrieu,’s D-La. Fox News: “Senate Democrats are considering bringing a measure to approve the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline to a vote…Democrats are considering bringing the project to the Senate floor during the lame-duck session in an attempt to help Landrieu, who is facing a tough race against her Republican rival Rep. Bill Cassidy [R-La.]… Even before Tuesday’s elections, the pipeline had support from at least a dozen Senate Democrats and the entire Republican caucus. After Republicans picked up at least seven Senate seats the number of Keystone supporters stood at 61, enough to surmount a filibuster. Obama could still veto the measure, unless the number of senators supporting the project climbs to 67.”

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