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Arianna On 'Countdown': You Never Just 'Have' The Votes For Anything Major, You Have To Go Get Them

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Arianna appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown" Friday night to discuss the abandoning of a comprehensive climate and energy bill by Senate Democrats.

Guest host Lawrence O'Donnell said he's seen similar moves in the Senate, and challenged Arianna to explain, "What's wrong with giving up when you don't have the votes."

"But Lawrence, you know perfectly well, as a student of history, you never have the votes for anything major," Arianna replied. "That's what Lyndon Johnson told Martin Luther King in March 1965 when they met about the Voting Rights Act, and Martin Luther King went out and the Selma March happened, and suddenly a few months later when had the votes."

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Arianna appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown" Friday night to discuss the abandoning of a comprehensive climate and energy bill by Senate Democrats. Guest host Lawrence O'Donnell said he's seen similar...
Arianna appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown" Friday night to discuss the abandoning of a comprehensive climate and energy bill by Senate Democrats. Guest host Lawrence O'Donnell said he's seen similar...
 
 
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choctawwritergirl
Screenwriter & Futurist
12:00 AM on 07/25/2010
One day soon MOTHER NATURE is going to SLAM MANKIND and then the BIG BOYS will be reminded the hard way that they are the SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND -- only MOTHER is,
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Red45
We can turn the tide
11:27 PM on 07/24/2010
Hey pattileigh "You can't judge the name of an act, like Clear Air and assume that's what the bill actually accomplishes." Ain't that the truth?

Reminds me of Bush/Cheney/Rove's "Healthy Forests Act" which involved allowing cutting down all the trees in many old growth forests, sometimes against federal law, across the America EXCEPT around the edges of the forests where the roads were so that, when people drive by, it looks like a thick forest. At one point, one of those losers is said to have wisecracked that it was called the healthy forests act because if you cut them all down, there won't be any forest fires--so they're protecting trees from fire by destroying the forest.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
spacemonkey086
10:59 PM on 07/24/2010
how about the dems work on getting a larger majority so they can pass this bill? how about dems running against blue dogs to try to get cap and trade passed?
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09:26 PM on 07/24/2010
It's a nice article Arianna, but I am not sold on climate change considering what's happening in south America, 175 dead, coldest winter in recient memory, google that, I tried post it twice here and the " moderator" nukes me I think? Also South Africa is in a brutal cold snap too, google this too.
I am sold on getting of the oil addiction, I am sold on clean energy, I am sold on treating our planet right, but I AM NOT for another PONZI SCHEME called the carbon exchange, we already have WALL street thanks just the same. Let's find a way to do it that doesn't hit the homeowner or the renter, which the exchange does do. I'm all for making any one who owns stock in an oil or dirty energy company pay a " sin" tax on their holdings, say 25% of the stock value, how about this?
I'm sure nobody who's a regular Joe, who is sick and tired of the oil addiction, and is doing what they can to do their part would want to or should be required to carry the burden for anyone else, don't you agree? That would be so unfair, to treat responsiablely living, green minded folks this way, am I not right?
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nrafter530
10:00 PM on 07/24/2010
um climate change doesn't mean less winter and more summer, it means more radical swings in temperatures, stronger storms, worse droughts, more extreme seasons.
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harkonnen
Alien life-form studying humans from space.
10:04 PM on 07/24/2010
You seem like a nice person so let me break it down for you. The fact that there are cold snaps in certain parts of the world is not proof that climate change does not happen. There is lot of scientific research involved and it's not bogus. Now I agree that it is unfair that the regular people bear the brunt of the costs, but America's addiction to oil will not be broken unless there is an increased cost for the average Joe. Green energy must be able to compete with carbon based energy. Otherwise, it's all in vain. We should be careful though, to make sure we are not ending up with a carbon exchange Wall Street. That's where sensitive government regulation comes in place.
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10:58 PM on 07/24/2010
Harkonnen:
Thanks Barron, I am not a climatologist, and real don't understand the nuts and bolts of it so I appreciate yours and nrafters comments. I just droped 50k into debt bringing my place up to top of the line ecologically efficient, 98% eff heater, no ac, appliances and remodel, did 75% of the work myself, so if some Jack wagon knocks on my door trying to make me pay more, I'm likely to cold cork them, know what I mean? But if it means I run an electric car, fine I'm converting my truck to electric any way, but I'm not going to pay the other guys bill so he can get where I am, it's his sh/ t he can pay just like I have, other than that I'll do my part, already have, and am continuing too.
I'm still set on taxing the crud out of those who encourage oil/ coal by buying there stock, they've stuck it to us and now it's their turn. After all we talk a good game about going after the " fat cat", it's put up or shut up time as far as I'm concerned!
Oh, saw on the London news wire, the Brits are thinking about turning there health care back over to the medical professionals to run, it's still gvt. Paid but not run by gvt if it passes, go figure?
08:49 PM on 07/24/2010
I really wish they would take away the tax payer handouts oil companies get so we would really see the true cost of oil. I bet alternative energy is cheaper. Tell Pentagon to stop paying for protecting oil shipping lines. Tell oil companies to pay us back for the Gulf War (which was about protecting oil supply from Kuwait). Tell big oil to pay some taxes. Do that and everyone will drive an electric car and have solar panels on their roof before you know it.

Heck, a 100 x 100 mile solar panel farm in the middle of some Arizona and New Mexico desert would give USA all the energy it needs.
08:39 PM on 07/24/2010
I don't care anymore. Europe, Japan etc will get it done. Noone expects the USA to lead the world these days.
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dennissinned
Progressive but not a Democrat.
08:30 PM on 07/24/2010
Leadership requires political will.
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Andrew Belcourt
07:06 PM on 07/24/2010
D-Warner-VA, D-Webb-VA, D-Udal-CO, D-Tester-MT, D-Landrieau-LA, D-Dorgan-ND, D-Black-ND, D-Bennett- CO, D-Baucus-MT these are 9 reasons why a climate bill wont get done before the mid term elections. These are the dem senators in major hyrdo carbon producing states. You might be able to peel off one or two of these senators but all 9 is highly unlikely and with out all of them the bill doesnt pass.
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Chubbster
Always Under Moderation
06:05 PM on 07/24/2010
Be happy.
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Friction57
full grown and still a microbio
05:17 PM on 07/24/2010
out of all of the legislation that has come up since this administration took office, this is the single most important one. This is the best chance we have to get off of fossil fuels and work toward energy independence. The pricing of externalities for fossil fuels, making them cost what they really do cost, is the only way that alternatives have a shot of moving into the main. Once fossil fuels are fully priced then the alternatives are price competitive and we start using them rather than giving billions of dollars to our enemies. This bill is about national security, it is about the environment, it is about job creation in the alternative space. This is a big damn deal bill and we must make some noise to keep it alive
Justice Goodyear
Equal dislike for both political parties
07:58 PM on 07/24/2010
There is only one way to get rid of fossil fuels and that is to make alternative energy cheaper. People who use cheap fuel don't care what kind it is. Cheap energy is the fuel of a thriving economy. Changing now will only prolong the recession. End the import of oil. Drill in U.S. with plan in 30 years to switch as alternative energy becomes less expensive. The timing is wrong.
08:43 PM on 07/24/2010
There is nothing to drill in U.S. We got 2% of the oil and we consume 25% of the oil. It simply does not add up. All drilling does is destroy the environment for the future generations. Just look at the gulf.

And I bet alternative energy is already cheaper. Take away all the tax payer handouts oil companies get and you'll see the true price of oil. Tell Pentagon to stop paying for protecting oil shipping lines. Tell oil companies to pay us back for the Gulf War (which was about protecting oil supply from Kuwait). And tell big oil to pay some taxes. Do that and all of a sudden you will see what the price of dirty fuel really is.
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samtee
Shankapotomus.
05:10 PM on 07/24/2010
Some of the dems are getting smart and understand all those bad bills are hurting them to much.
08:46 PM on 07/24/2010
No, they're just keeping the status quo going and doing what their overlords (big oil, wall street) tell them to do.
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Fred Hood
Out of many we are one ...B.O.
04:43 PM on 07/24/2010
everyone should see GasLand........showing on sundance........they are using this fracture system to drill for natural gas.....by injecting chemicals that leave the ground water toxic.....thanks to Bush who gave the exemptions from all laws protecting us.......get some big jars and save rain water
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06:31 PM on 07/24/2010
Oh Fred,
You post is so intuitive, albeit if you want to see GasLand you just have to look behind me. Poor Fred--Don't you just wet yourself every time hear the word 'exemption'? Let us know where your jugs will be and we'll fill them daily.
May God Bless
leftcoastindy
Where did I put my MOJO
06:40 PM on 07/24/2010
Do you think the sky fairy will bless the water so we can drink it? Otherwise Fred won't be the only 'poor' one.
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Gordon Soderberg
The Green Veteran
04:36 PM on 07/24/2010
Congress like frogs, seams not to notice the water heating up. Turn off the air conditioning all government offices and maybe they will realize just how important this is.
03:45 PM on 07/24/2010
President and VP right here!
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GG NV
Define the Future by Learning the Past
03:17 PM on 07/24/2010
It's all about cap and trade and the Senators that need to support their own districts that produce fossil fuels. Many Senators don't have the stomach to support cap and trade especially when the economy is as fragile as the one we are in. The Senators should dump cap and trade and work with fossil fuel states to support them but an addition have a clear plan with implementation of clean energy. WE need to move forward with alternative clean fuel sources along with clean energy production asap.