Daily Briefing - 3/16/07: Temperature Records, Primary Frontloading, and Global Warming

It's friday.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 3/16/07
598 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- World breaks temperature record
- G8 Ministers: U.S. will join fight
- Loss of Antarctic ice has scientists perplexed
- Costing billions in grain
- Using smoke and mirrors
- Solutions… from “great to idiotic”
- Gore collects signatures
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!
- Christians who won’t toe the line
- Valerie Plame testifies
Potential ‘08ers…
- McCain (chattering on), Obama (taking on Bill… oh boy), McCain again (touting immigration plan), Romney (also talking immigration), Romney again (putting Mass. economy in the spotlight), Clinton (old ties in Texas may spur some cash), Edwards (global poverty is a security issue),
- Holy primary frontloading batman!!!! California officially moves theirs to the 5th
o South Carolina may benefit
- Bush promises to restore party potency
Other News from the Media
- Green energy enthusiasts are also betting on fossil fuels
- Friedman: Marching with a mouse
- Making US produce safer?
- Coal could face a bleak future
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix’s Friday Line: The Senate
- Carl Pope: If you want to be President, listen to those folks in New Hampshire
- A generation gap between MYDD and DailyKos?
- National Journal ranks the Democratic candidates
- Grist:
o An Inconvenient truth for kids?
o Food and Punishment
o Ranting about facts and persuasion
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Don’t worry about those rats
- Bill O’Reilly sued… ha
- Umm, ‘bout time Disney got with the times
- Rahmbo is a party pooper
Quotes O’ the Day
“Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good.” ~Thomas Sowell

Sportsmen, a Powerful Force in Electoral Politics

Cross Posted at Target Global Warming.

The National Journal, in an article posted to their website on Wednesday (subscription required), explains the intricacies of one of the most powerful voting bloc in american politics, "The Hook-And-Bullet Vote."

By all estimates, this is a rich and deep well of voters. Between 38 million and 53 million Americans hunt and fish, depending on who is counting, and this constituency tends to be politically astute. Years of perceived infringement on both gun-ownership rights and habitat have trained sportsmen to be particularly aware of politics.

Most sportsmen argue that they are a potent force in both parties.

"When you look at a Republican primary election, this is a very important" group, said David Rexrode, coalitions director for John McCain 2008, noting that sportsmen are typically rural, conservative voters. For this same reason, many Democrats from rural states feel it's important to reach out to sportsmen to debunk an urban, liberal stereotype.

Despite the continued importance of Second Amendment protection, other issues are starting to steal the spotlight. Later in the article, David "Mudcat" Saunders, a rural strategist for Democrats, argues that the "No. 1 issue facing sportsmen is the loss of habitat."

Daily Briefing - 3/15/07: Carbon Capture, New Hampshire, Global Warming, and the Ides of March

"Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I see,
Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From that it is disposed: therefore it is meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes;
For who so firm that cannot be seduced?"

MW

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Daily Briefing – 3/15/07
599 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Capturing carbon, tempering global warming
- Crist can have global reach on global warming
- Push to fix ozone layer, and in the process slow global warming
o Seeking an accelerated ban on refrigerant
- New Hampshire to Presidential candidates: DO SOMETHING
- Global warming panel has the power of the hot seat
- Automakers tell House to lay off fuel economy
- The potential for mitigation is there
- Fairfax County (VA) tackling climate change with an eco-friendly initiative
- Gap among evangelicals widens
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- David Broder: Reports of the GOP death are premature
- Robert Novak: The wrath of Tom Delay
- House passes open government bills
- Capital turns cold for Bush
- Senator Schwarzenegger?... and perhaps Senator Allen redux?
Potential ‘08ers…
- Edwards (goes carbon neutral), McCain (fighting to recapture maverick spirit of 2000), McCain again (standing behind a tough stance), Clinton (some GI’s in Iraq would remain), Giuliani (focusin on energy), Clinton again (angers some over a remark), Obama (crossed a cultural divide as a child), Brownback (is on a roll… according to RedState), Edwards (anthrax scare at his office), Obama again (will not raise personal issues), Giuliani again (loses to Bloomberg in NYC)
- George Will: Why the primary push?
Other News from the Media
- Wholesale inflation surged in February
- Reverb, greening rock all over the country \\m//
- Proposal for offshore LNG terminal forges ahead
- Pennsylvania Governor’s Outdoor Conference starts Sunday
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix: Progressive group goes after Sen. Baucus
- Tompaine: Debating the farm bill
- Grist:
o Texas hearts solar
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Don Cheadle as Miles? Sweet.
- Odd turns in the DC madam case
- Morocco to Spain… by train!
- Hehehe
- I guess terrorists like bananas?
Quotes O’ the Day
“A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.” ~ William Shakespeare

Daily Briefing - 3/14/07: Britain, Worldwide Polls, Voting Rights, and Global Warming

We have exactly 600 days until the 2008 Presidential election. What will you do to get global warming addressed by this critical date?

MW

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Daily Briefing – 3/14/07
600 DAYS until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Britain drafts laws to slash carbon emissions
o How the penny dropped
o Christian Aid: A good start
- Poll shows a majority of people in the world see global warming as a critical threat
o Sadly, the US was an exception
- Renewing a call to act: NYT on Bill McKibben’s Step It Up campaign
- South Africa calls Gore to help put the brakes on biofuel production
- Rep. Herseth to study global warming
- Auto execs head to Capitol Hill to discuss global warming
o Also from MSNBC
- Frostbite derails Arctic study
o The impact continues to lure scientists
- Will hit Africa the hardest
- Guardian: The appliance of science and the split on solutions
- Dave Johnson has a suggestion: Fewer Babies
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- White House finding trouble harder to shrug off…what’s that saying about a hole and too much digging…?
o A NYT editorial
- One step closer to voting rights in D.C.! TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION
- Democrats split on domestic plan
Potential ‘08ers…
- Clinton (another right-wing conspiracy?), Giuliani (marriages annulling his bid?), Gingrich (he’s baaaack), Thompson, Fred (gets Frist’s endorsement… is this guy even running yet?), Clinton v. Obama (fighting over the Jewish vote), Dodd (considering bill to protect homeowners), Huckabee (meeting a challenge from conservatives), Giuliani again (ooh ooh, he’s a flip-flopper too!), Clinton again (knows a little something about firing attorneys), Obama (Sharpton is begging for a fight), Edwards (a little tiff with Bob Shrum… is that a bad thing?), Obama again (media surfing his past)
- A manifesto for the next President
Other News from the Media
- Orion: The Idols of Environmentalism
- World population to reach 9.2 billion
- Seas yielding surprising catch of unknown genes
- Silicon valley sets its gaze on energy
- A decent life wouldn’t be too much to ask, would it?
- A U.S. alliance to update the light bulb
- Judges say EPA ignored setting emissions standards
- Army Corps knowingly put in faulty pumps after Katrina
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix on Sen. Dole’s vulnerability
- MYDD: Norm Coleman is looking weak
- Oooh, ouch
- Huffington Post: Big Oil U
- Grist:
o Making green messages stick
o Dispatch from the Step It Up campaign
o More on the supposed “reasonable middle”
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Behind the Scenes: Chris Dodd on the Daily Show
- Beckham on his way to the US
- Poll: Rich people happy, poor people… not so much
- Oh, those crazy PETA activists (Thanks to Chris in Seattle for digging this up)
- I have a feeling Kevin Smith thought of this… GodTube
Quotes O’ the Day
“Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what stings is justice.” ~H. L. Mencken

Daily Briefing - 3/13/07: Charlie Crist, Jeffrey Sachs, Evangelicals, and Global Warming!

An interesting piece in the New York Times outlining concern over An Inconvenient Truth. Interesting perhaps because it is misleading, so says David Roberts of Grist. I pretty much agree.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 3/13/07
601 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Florida Governor Crist (R-FL) joins the ranks in the fight against global warming
- Hey, if Jeffrey Sachs says so…
- Some scientists still aren’t sold
o Grist’s David Roberts and Sierra Club’s Carl Pope aren’t overly impressed with this piece of journalism… Roberts hammers it.
- Evangelicals slam U.S. on torture and take a stand on global warming
- Ontario’s boreal forecast critical in fight
- The Southern Illinois: Only a Carbon Tax Can Stop Global Warming
- Xinhua: 1987 pact slowed warming
- An Inconvenient Truth hits the small screen
- BBC’s climate challenge
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Prosecutor firings had genesis in the White House
o Democrats want an explanation
- GOP voters voice anxiety
- Sen. Coleman leads Franken in early poll
- House republicans protest use of room in Capitol by Muslim group
- Meehan to leave House in July
Potential ‘08ers…
- Obama (the moment for this messenger), Hagel (the waiting game), Obama v. Hagel (William Arkin’s dream), McCain (won’t attend Club for Growth), Clinton (nabs some lobbyists), Obama again (Sharpton didn’t like his support of Lieberman), Richardson (bans cockfighting in NM), Obama again again (wife Michelle steps up role), Giuliani (he likes firefighters), McCain again (the people from Club for Growth aren’t too happy with him), Gingrich (will a confession help?), Edwards (takes Manhattan), Romney (so does Mitt), Giuliani again (how pure does he have to be?)
- New York loads up February 5th
Other News from the Media
- Where wilderness meets wildlife in Florida
- Rainforests need the dry season
- Judge stops sale of genetically manufactured alfalfa
- Chemicals may play role in rise of obesity
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix: Why Drudge matters
- The Caucus: Politics and YouTube
- MYDD straw poll results
- Media Matters: Sunday talk shows lean conservative
- Politico: How the netroots killed the Fox debate
- Grist:
o Let’s Call the Coal Thing Off
o Sustainable development in today’s job market
o A new way to think about ethanol
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Viacom sues YouTube over copyrights
- No e-mail Fridays?! Gasp, the horror!!!!
- Rachel McAdams, an environmentalist I’m a fan of
Quotes O’ the Day
"I am persuaded that global climate change is one of the most important issues that we will face in this century," ~Gov. Crist (R-FL)

Daily Briefing - 3/12/07: Pelosi's Select Committee, Evangelical Concern over Global Warming, "Cleaner" Coal Plants, and a whole lot of Election News

There's lots of important news to go over today. Speaker Pelosi announces the roster of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, TXU announces plans for cleaner coal plants, there's infighting in Europe over addressing global warming, and three really good articles on ethanol are just a sampling. And not to forget a whole lot on election '08.

Seriously, a whole lot.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 3/12/07
602 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Pelosi reveals roster of Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
- Top scientists warn of water shortages and disease
- Evangelical board affirms concern for global warming
- Europe divided on how to fight global warming
- Defending the muzzling of scientists
- TXU announces designs for two coal plants to be cleaner burning
- Report warns of disaster
- U.S. insurers seen as lagging
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Kilroy looks for a rematch against Rep. Pryce
Potential ‘08ers…
- Obama v. Clinton (the sparring started early), Hagel (that imminent decision is not so imminent), Richardson (profiled by some old friends), Thompson, Fred (revisiting the possibility), Thompson, Fred again (thrilling TN GOP), Giuliani (conservatives balking), Brownback (the lesser-known candidate working the grassroots), Obama (urging compassion in the Middle East), Obama again (Sharpton ain’t a fan), McCain (Mankiw on his notion of tax cuts), Clinton (a hero problem), Edwards (the new version), Edwards again (cancer shaped his plan), Romney (gets support from Guinn),
- Early primary rush upending campaign plans
- Where the GOP hopefuls stand
- Nevada Dems nix Fox debate
Other News from the Media
- Energy independence for Warrenton, VA
- On ethanol:
o Why grocery bills are getting bigger
o Palm oil frenzy taking toll
o The hard truth: America is drunk on ethanol
- Midwest has coal rush, sees no alternative
o A response David Roberts at Grist
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix: Friday’s Governor Line
- Hotline: White 2008 Race Ranking, the Republicans
- Grist:
o Testing Seattle’s commitment to being green
o Renewable energy, Texas style
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- It’s tourney time baby!
o LET’S GO COLONIALS!
- The silver screen gives Earth its revenge
- Dark energy… it’s out there, and in way more abundance than everything else
- All my troubles warmed away
Quotes O’ the Day
“Al Gore, on a recent trip to New York City to discuss his film An Inconvenient Truth, is walking west on 50th St., when he reaches Park Ave. Gore waits for the lights to change. Then, when he gets his walk signal, he proceeds across Park, strolling past dozens of idling cars and taxis and trucks that have been brought to a halt. How many tonnes of greenhouse gas were spilled into the atmosphere, just so Al Gore could cross the street? Who the hell does he think he is?” ~ Linwood Barclay