Daily Briefing - 12/20/06

In an effort to curb greenhouse gases even further, the EU has adopted a scheme to limit aviation emissions. Costs will most likely fall onto the consumer, and detractors do not see the benefits of such an enterprise. Across the Atlantic to the sun-drenched valley, a group called the Silicon Valley Leadership Group has taken it upon itself to make the region less dependent on foreign oil and to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Traveling back eastward and stopping in the heartland, a panel in Louisville will meet to address how their city can work to fight global warming. We wind in the blustery capital, where winds of change and an unseasonable warmth have brought Democrats back into power and plants not natural to the region.

Maybe the weather has warmed the cold heart of politics. President Bush reached out today to Democrats, stating that he plans to work with them on domestic issues. Then again, maybe the weather has cleared senses to make Mr. Bush face a harsh reality as he admist that we are not winning the war in Iraq.

Because the Presidential field is so thin...another horse may jump into the '08 race (former Governor Jim Gilmore (R-VA)). At RedState, they're angry at National Review for featuring only Romney and McCain on their cover, but that does not distract them from taking snipes at Sens. Snowe and Rockefeller for their angry letter to the CEO of ExxonMobil for paying global warming deniers.

In the most important news of the day, Rocky Balboa is back! Well, it might be the most important news... all depending on how bad/good it is and if it makes me forget Rocky V (yeeechhh!). With that, I leave you with a parting thought... a new study released says that a low to mid amount of alcohol can save a person's life when faced with serious head trauma. Once again proving the sage wisdom of one Homer Simpson: "Beer, the cause of -- and solution to -- all of life's problems."

MW

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Daily Briefing – 12/20/06
684 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- EU adopts aviation emissions scheme
- Silicon Valley Leadership Group launches plan to curb greenhouse gases and reduce regions dependence on foreign oil
o San Jose Mercury News editorial: Valley’s employers v. global warming
- Global warming panel to meet in Louisville
- A challenge to agriculture
- Washington warming to southern plants
- Grist: Top ten climate stories of 2006, part II
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- President Bush intends to work with the Democratic majority on a broad range of domestic issues
- President Bush: U.S. not winning war in Iraq
Potential ‘08ers…
- Giuliani (The Fix chats about him), Gilmore (forming an exploratory committee), Obama (should look for work in a Clinton cabinet), Clinton (embarking on a media tour), Richardson (he’s got foreign policy cred), Gingrich (writes off Bush, blames Rove for failures)
Other News from the Media
- Mount St. Helens steam plume visible in Portland
- YouTube journalism
- Garrison Keillor on the oddness of the season
…and the Blogosphere
- DailyKos on how youth voting patterns in the Mountain West are turning that region blue
- TPM: GOP Rep. fears influx of Muslims elected to Congress
- Huffington Post: Al Gore is the voice of reality for 2006
- From Grist:
o The most important environmental books
o Congress gives parting nod to offshore drillers and renewable energy industries
o Eight signs of hope
- At RedState they support a call for Senators Snowe and Rockefeller’s resignation over their letter to ExxonMobil
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Rocky Balboa is back!
- Stupidest liquor store thief, ever
- Oh yea, it’s a really free country… China may not allow single or overweight people to adopt.
- I guess these people weren’t included in the “Person of the Year”
- Long-gone drug lord’s hippos thrive in his estate
- Alcohol can help save lives
Quotes O’ the Day
"I've been going to AA for a year, by the way. Well it's no one's business. That's why it's anonymous!" ~Lindsay Lohan, on why she just revealed that she joined Alcoholics Anonymous.