Sounding a more centrist note, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday there is a “fierce determination” to reduce the deficit…”We have got to send a message about our concern for the deficit,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.).
Danish hosts re-launched U.N. climate talks on Thursday after the United States backed a $100 billion global fund to support poor countries and world leaders gathered for a final effort to reach a deal… “The United States is prepared to work with other countries toward a goal of jointly mobilizing $100 billion a year by 2020 to address the climate change needs of developing countries,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a news conference.
This money is called “climate aid,” which is a term so diaphanous that the money could be used for almost anything. $100 billion for what? We don’t know. How much of it will we pay? No idea. Maybe we should go ahead and fund the development of peaceful nuclear energy facilities in Iran. That’s good for the climate. Fox White House correspondent Major Garrett reports, but there’s not much to tell:
Lots of unknowns here: how much will US pony up? “fair share,” says WH. When and how fast? Unknown. Some of the $100 bn fund 2 come from “leveraged” private capital. How much? Unknown. Who else plays and how much? Unknown.
But to be fair, I’m sure those who are “fiercely determined” to get the deficit down don’t deem this $100 billion so much as an expenditure as a fair redistribution of wealth we owe the rest of the world for our imperialistic past and the havoc wreaked on the world by the Bush years.
