Sarah Palin's Op-Ed Slams Obama's Cap-And-Trade Plan

Washington Post:

There is no shortage of threats to our economy. America's unemployment rate recently hit its highest mark in more than 25 years and is expected to continue climbing. Worries are widespread that even when the economy finally rebounds, the recovery won't bring jobs. Our nation's debt is unsustainable, and the federal government's reach into the private sector is unprecedented.

Unfortunately, many in the national media would rather focus on the personality-driven political gossip of the day than on the gravity of these challenges. So, at risk of disappointing the chattering class, let me make clear what is foremost on my mind and where my focus will be:

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[Kurtis Cates]

Palin Washes Hands of Cap-and -Trade;

Clears Conscience of Reason
by Kurtis Cates, July 22nd, 2008

In her July 14th Op-Ed published in the Washington Post Alaska Governor Sarah Palin offered her position on the Cap and Trade legislation which is currently moving through Congress. It belies either an ignorance or dishonesty which I must attempt to answer. [...]

[...] when she gets to the part where a person would normally present a -solution, alternative, plan- she returns to the presents empty words.

"We must move in a new direction. We are ripe for economic growth and energy independence if we responsibly tap the resources that God created right underfoot on American soil. Just as important, we have more desire and ability to protect the environment than any foreign nation from which we purchase energy today."

It is oil or nothing with this person. Her campaign chants' echoes have not ceased. People say that she has an eye on the 2012 election. I think she may still be re-running for 08'. Alaskans have weird rules about mulligans. And she did suggest in this piece that God created oil. But God did not create oil any more than he created the human brain. Why isn't she willing to use both? (Or) Why didn't God let the dinosaurs live a few million years longer? Why did God make this most incredible resource out of Dinosaurs instead of Buddhists? ...

more @ www.fromthebiblebelt.org

[Bontempo]

Her brain is apparently frostbitten if she thinks anyone believes she wrote this herself. She embodies the foreboding implied in the title of the Vanity Fair feature article "It Came From Wasilla." Well, she sure did. The methamphet­amine-cook­in' capital of the world. This was her first assignment from her new p.r. agency.

[mllefirefly]

Who knew the Republicans had a fondness for 1970’s kitsch? Remember those cute little, wide-eyed Pet Rocks made famous by Gary Dahl? They came packaged in a cardboard box, poked with air holes, nestled in cushioning and included a “Pet Rock Training Manual”.
The fad only lasted about six months, but it was long enough for Dahl to become a millionaire. We aren’t as lucky with Sarah Palin. This fad is lasting far longer.
Pet rocks weren’t easily trained to “Come” and required help from their owners to “Roll over”. “Sit” and “Stay” were a snap (or should I say a wink?). “Attack” was quite easy though once again requiring the assistance of the owner.
With a little glue and some speech bubbles, Pet Rocks could be made to say anything over and over again even if the statements soon had no relevance, “Drill, baby, drill” for example. Like those adorable Pet Rocks (they came in families too), the 2008 Presidential Election showed us that Palin was not great at conversation, but good, easy to laugh at, companionship each night on the news.
To be fair, there are a few differences: Sarah has legs, nice ones too. And, she has to be fed. Pet Rocks are self-sustaining. Does this make them better!? No, perhaps not. They do need a dusting off from time to time. Oops…another similarity. Aren’t the Republicans right now dusting off their pet, Palin and putting her right back on our visual shelf?

[JXJASON]

This isn't about Sarah Palin. This is about the cost of energy.

Go To:

http://www.stopoilspeculationnow.com/site/page/learn_the_issue

And do something to stop speculators from raising the costs of energy.

[flossophy]

I wonder why HuffPuff isn't covering Al G0re's green-profiteering scandal?

Perhaps because it exposes the fraud that is called Cap n' Trade?

Way to go, HuffPuff... irresponsible journalism at it's best.

[JXJASON]

You are right, flossophy. I read that Al Gore is involved with venture capital firms that will profit from this " Energy Tax Bill ". I also read that Gore has invested in a company that has invested in the " trading platform " that will be trading "carbon credits".

We are being conned, again, by the people in Congress.

I am disappointed by President Obama...and I voted for him.

The trading of carbon credits, in my opinion, will be just as big a problem as the trading of oil futures contracts....AND IT WILL COST US MORE FOR ENERGY.

[RRundbaken]

All you folks who rant that responsible legislation that fundamentally changes our energy consumption and reduces pollution while creating jobs in the field of renewable energy are either devoid of facts or like the rest of the GOP resistant to any sort of positive change. Whether it's fixing our broken healthcare system or eliminating our need for foreign oil. It's all end of world hysterics with you folks. According to you insuring all Americans and reducing health costs is bad. Creating new energy sources that don't pollute and end our dependency on oil is bad. These is the same thinking that thought Social Security or Medicare was bad. It's the same thinking that when faced with an economic depression to not spend to get us out of it. It was that same sentiment in the early 30s that constrained stimulus spending extending the Great Depression. The GOP all whine that every thing Obama is trying to do will "kill jobs" after they spent 8 years killing jobs. How do they argue against universal healthcare when we rank 29th in the world in health but 1st in spending? How do they argue against reducing fossil fuel use when we produce 25% of greenhouse gasses. They helped kill the electric car, ignored the environment for 8 years, gutted the EPA, opened parks to drilling and unfettered use of snowmobiles, and care more for criminally insane gun buyers than they do other citizens.

Do you also believe that the moon landing was staged?

[OmarSpence]

I notice a fundamental misunderstanding of how cap and trade works.

Al Gore owns a brokerage firm that trades the carbon credits (emmisions rights) sold by entities that switch to renewable energy or make significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to entities that fail to meet their emissions limits. He makes a profit on the carbon credits he sells to these entities.

He is profiting from those who insist on using fossil fuel energy or wasting it.

As for penalizing entities that insist on sticking to fossil fuel energy or wasting it, I believe that emissions rights should be more costly in order to make it non viable not to switch or cut carbon emissions. The insistence on sticking to the old dogma of cheap plentiful fossil fuels forever is becoming increasingly harmful both economically and environmentally.

[ECB]

She thought the topic was "Tap" and "Swap".

[zyxomma]

I thought this was ghostwritten for the Washington Times! Moosey Galore strikes again. also. too.

[markdolph]

Another demonstration of how ignorance is harmful, particularly when it is political leadership which is ignorant. Sarah Palin, and those like her, totally miss the point of cap-and-trade; but, so do Americans, who are ignorant of the facts, who will be swayed by her arguments, which unfortunately, is significant in number. Sarah Palin, apparently, is ignoring the good advise that she has been given, namely, that she exit from the national stage, spend time, studying the issues, before stating opinions on policy that ultimately impede progress from being made on issues that are vital to the nation and, in this case, the world.

[JXJASON]

Markdolph, there are others, like myself, who did study the issues. You should read some of my other posts. This cap and trade stuff is B/S.

[SuzyQuzyMuzy]

But this energy bill is a good start. We are talking about our climate, our earth, our only home. It's just common sense, but somehow people put money before health and life and actually having a clean earth to live on. No one wants to work together anymore. It's all about me, me, my bill. Well, at least the US and China just came to an agreement to do the research and get the facts. Most of what I've read has been to scare the people; they will actually lie to them about going into their pockets. The lies are flying like I've never seen in my life. What have they got left? They've offered no good solutions for anything. They really don't want solutions; they want it to be just like Bush. Because that's the way they like it, the entire country in a mess as long as they're still rich and all is in abundance for them.

[OmarSpence]

Cap and Trade has been watered down by political interests, that's why.

For cap and trade to work, the cost of emissions rights has to be PAINFULLY expensive in order to be effective, so that entities that do not cut their emissions are put under real threat in order to effect change. Companies that do make significant cuts should be made to profit richly from doing so as well.

The threat part is where politicians water it down. Cap and trade does need more teeth, but having a Cap and Trade system in place is an important first step.

[LongInTheTooth]

Absolutely no way she wrote this. She can hardly speak English.

[ImJustSaying007]

My sentiments exactly...­.......But the sinister part of the piece is they threw in the word "clobber " tomake us believe it was Palin.........The nerve of some people.

[MH-California]

I especially like the fact that she tries to make it sound like she shares the same views as W. Buffett. Yes, W.B. has been vocal against the cap & trade bill as it stood in June 24th. There have been some changes since then, which has made it a bit more attractive.

However, he did not claim that he was against cap & trade. Below is the transcript of the June 24 interview.


BUFFETT: Well, I think if they're important issues and they get well thought out solutions. It is important that we move on carbon emissions. It's important we move on health care. But I don't think they should be jammed through in a hurry. But those are issues that should be addressed by America. But I do think the economy is number one.

BECKY: You said you didn't like cap and trade especially in this economy though, because it puts a tax on people.

BUFFETT: I think if you get into the way it was written, it's a huge tax and there's no sense calling it anything else. I mean, it is a tax. And it's a fairly regressive tax. If we buy permits, essentially, at our utilities, that goes right into the bills of the utility customers and an awful lot of people in Iowa, in Oregon, and Utah, and places where we are, very poor people are going to pay a lot more money for electricity. So I think that can be improved.

[JXJASON]

CAN YOU READ???

Go back and READ AGAIN what Buffet said.

In case you missed it, Buffet said " VERY POOR PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PAY A LOT MORE MONEY FOR ELECTRICITY ".

I am now paying $.14 per kilowatt hour. I expect my cost to go to $.28 per KWH in two years. That's a 100% increase.

[OmarSpence]

That is only if your electric company doesn't cut its carbon emissions or switch to an alternate energy source. The problem lies with electric companies, not the cap and trade system

[MH-California]

Of course someone else wrote this article.
I would love to have someone in the "mean & horrible" media ask her to define the cap & trade program. Does she even understand what it means???

Regarding Spain and its job losses, please get your facts straight. Spain has a huge job loss rate and its economy is in dumps because of spikes in housing prices, unfriendly business rules therefore lack of foreign or domestic investment, pprotectionism, problems with infrastructur, and other issues. To indicate the sole reason for job losses on cap & trade is ignorant, and a distortion of facts. But then, I am not surprised from a Palin supporter!!

[water57]

All of these comments are coming from maverickey quitter.

[antifluff]

In France, Obm told his audience that America “has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive” toward Europe.
In Prague, Obm – in true utopian-ki­ndergarten fashion – pledged “with conviction” that America will “seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.” In other words, destroy big bad America’s ability to defend itself!
In London, Obm made clear that the world’s financial wealth was no longer made by those inferior leaders Roosevelt and Churchill, effectively ceding America’s leading role in creating and sharing wealth to nations that have never measured up to our country’s bountiful generosity or spirit of free-market entrepreneurship.
In Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Obm sat passively while the Mar xistChavez handed him an American-bashing book and delivered another revile-America speech, while never once rising to defend our country.
In Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Obm again sat passively while the Ma rxistOrtega blamed the United States for a century of what he called terroristic U.S. aggression in Central America, again emitting not a whisper of defense on our country’s behalf.
In Turkey, Obm said – incredibly­andinaccur­ately – that America was not aChristiannation.
And in his recent trip to Mexico, Obm said that the escalating border violence was essentially America’s fault.http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/10784

I prefer the W.O.M.A.N.

[Hollywooddeed]

Incomplete and taken out of context, all of it. Dismissed.

[dagdavid]

I love it when neo-cons think they're being revolutionary by posting here. HAH?

[weatherwaxx]

In 1796, Thomas Jefferson said that America was not a Christian nation. "America is a Christian nation" is the Big Lie of the Bush regime. It is not true and never was.

Witness:

"The Government of the United States is NOT, in ANY sense, founded on the Christian Religion". -- John Adams

"Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law."-Thomas Jefferson, February 10, 1814

"... I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State."-TJ Jan. 1, 1802


******************

Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

The above is from the treaty of Tripoli signed on Nov 4 1796, signed by the founding fathers.


You prefer the woman--well, you can have her, ignorance and all. But what she claims is not what is in the Constitution.

[Jond0]

Oh no, she KNOWS in her heart the quotes you posted above simply aren't true!

[jh1211]

as mentioned by other posters, totally taken out of context...

also, AMERICA IS NOT A FREAKIN CHRISTIAN NATION!!! when are all the crazy fundies going to realize this?! just because christians live here does not make it a christian nation.

[jafsie]

Who'd she pay to write it for her?

[weatherwaxx]

The other way around. Exxon paid her to put her face on their propaganda.

[hardlyhikin]

My question exactly.

Though I disagree with what she "writes", I cannot believe that those were her words, somebody wrote it for her - probably someone at the American Enterprise Institute.

I've seen nothing of her expository writing or speaking since she came on the national political scene last fall to let me believe that she is capable of writing complete sentences.

[lsmull]

By the way, check out the corporate support at the US Climate Action Partnership. I found the Blueprint for Legislative Action to be very informative.

http://www.us-cap.org/