Daily Briefing - 12/4/06

The Supreme Court case is still resonating throughout the country (and the world), as we can see by articles from the New Yorker and Boston Globe, an editorial from the Philadelphia Inquirer, and analysis from FindLAw, Sierra Club's Carl Pope, NWF's John Kostyack, and CATO's Patrick Michaels. Scientists are also searching for crops that can withstand warming to stave off potential famine, and the Victoria Times looks at the plight of Canadian fisheries.

In Washington, John Bolton resigns as UN Ambassador removing the potential bruising confirmation hearings that awaits him. The Democrats will have voices in positions of power that have consistently questioned the Iraq war, and the lame duck Congress looks to not strain themselves this week. For the '08 crowd, we have a new entry in Sen. Sam "I'm the conservative choice over McCain/Giuliani" Brownback (R-KS), and we have two more fellows with a last name that starts with a B looking into joining the fray (Sen. Bayh (D-IN) and Mayor Bloomberg (R-NY).

In other news, the prices of oranges are going up, President Bush wants to drill off the coast of Alaska, and bloggers are becoming paid stooges of politicians (according to an article in NYT).

Speaking of the blogosphere, 2008 is always on their mind, as well as rehashing '06 and grading their performance. And finally, a naked man high on crack was attacked by a gator... all that and more in the briefing.

MW

---------------------------------------------
Daily Briefing – 12/4/06
It’s the most… wonderful time… of the year!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- New Yorker: On the global warming case
o Carl Pope: On a knife’s edge, Philadelphia Inquirer: Give the EPA a clear mission, Boston Globe: A duck hunt for global warming (Also seen at TargetGlobalWarming, FindLaw: Finding what’s wrong with the standing doctrine
- How it threatens U.S. businesses
- Searching for crops that will survive global warming
- Threatening Canadian fisheries
- North Carolina lawmakers taking on warming
- Tribal leaders addressing global warming
- Jackie Ashley of The Guardian questions the necessity of flying so darn much
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- John Bolton resigns as U.N Ambassador
- A split in the GOP tent? Libertarians joining with liberals, cats marrying dogs…
- Democrats who opposed war move into key positions, including the next chairman of the Intelligence Committee
- Lame ducks leaving loose ends
- Republicans are frightened by the prospect of a bipartisan Bush
- Rep. Barney Frank takes on the mortgage program
- A look at government regulations
Potential ‘08ers…
- McCain (courting conservatives in Iowa), Bayh (forming exploratory committee), Obama (an early maybe), Kerry (stalling…), Bloomberg (considering a run), Brownback (looks like he’s in), Daschle (a no-go),
Other News from the Media
- Bush mulls resumed energy drilling off the coast of Alaska
- President Hugo Chavez’s “great gas pipeline of the south,” a $20 billion pipeline that stretches the length of South America.
- Four hurricanes + citrus disease = higher prices for oranges
- Bloggers working for politicians
…and the Blogosphere
- NWF’s John Kostyack: Key Decision Makers Still Don’t Get Global Warming
o Response from CATO’s Patrick Michaels
- The Caucus: Dean’s 50 state strategy
- Chris Bowers at MYDD looks at the ’08 situation
- Senators Landrieu and Sessions on Gulf Coast drilling
- RedState: In praise of John McCain
- Rothenberg Report gives a self-assessment
- TomPaine: Africa is Burning
- From Grist:
o Stephane Dion, next Prime Minister of Canada… and green as green can be
o Dingell planning oversight hearings on environmental issues
o Um, panda porn?
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- George Clooney widowed by a pig
- Gator attacks naked man on crack (Seriously)
- SO COOL: Metorite’s organic matter older than the sun… does that mean it’s older than Robert Byrd too?)
Quotes O’ the Day
“I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves.” ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein