Daily Briefing - 12/15/06

Reports are out today that show expected sea level rise resulting from global warming have been underestimated. This goes along with the New York Times article pointing out that this pesky warming trend just keeps on keein' on. Meanwhile, one of our "friends" from CEI wrote an article for Forbes saying that we should love global warming because winter storms can kill people and it would mean more sun and happy people and unicorns. Yay! We're filled with global warming news today, so read on...

In Washington, Senator Johnson (D-SD) has made progress, yet the political vultures continue to swirl. The L.A. Times has a great article on the GOP's missed chance to reshape environmental laws. The author writes that this is in large part because of the greening West and environmentalists successful outreach to hunters and anglers. For evidence of such a collaboration, check out www.TargetGlobalWarming.com. Media continues to swirl around potential '08ers, writing about Hillary's lunch partners, Mitt's recent aversion to the press, Barack Obama, new support for John McCain, Barack Obama... oh, and Barack Obama.

In other news, TruthAboutCars has a great piece on the brilliant Amory Lovins and his one percent solution. Tom Friedman opines about the importance of alternative energy by looking in President Bush's past affinity for wind power. The US Census says we watch too much TV, spend too much time in front of a computer, and eat too much. Umm, yes.

Finally, Michael Crichton is using his books to get back at his critics. I think this calls for an Inhofe hearing! On to the briefing...

MW

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Daily Briefing – 12/15/06
689 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Sea level rise under estimated
o Also from National Geographic
- The trend continues in 2006, climate agencies say
- Forbes: Love Global Warming
- Ignoring an inconvenient truth
- Warming may affect sever weather events, but evidence isn’t clear
- Letting the customers fight global warming
o LA Times: Forcing consumers to foot the bill
- Regulators may move to curb coal plants
- Flooding in Scotland, thanks to warming
- Montana state panel hopes to counter warming
- Putting a price on carbon
- Taxing emissions, executive proposes
- India says its emission are not harming the world
- Alternet: The solution is us
- Vermont town commits funds to combat global warming
- Grist: Dem voters and global warming
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Experts optimistic about Senator’s condition
- Pelosi looks to boost oversight of ethics and intelligence
- 109th leftovers
- DeLay’s missteps still haunting GOP, could turn Texas blue
- Bush urged to break US oil dependence
- An interview with Tom DeLay
Potential ‘08ers…
- Clinton (power lunching with D’Amato and Koch), Obama (on Obama), Obama again (Some say he’s ready), Gingrich (gets own Fox News special), Clinton again (invited to NH), Richardson (meeting with North Korean officials), Romney (a bit camera shy), McCain (gathers support from Sen. Roberts(R-KS)), Brownback (winning praise from religious conservatives), Romney again (announcement in January), Kerry (in Egypt)
- CBS News looks at the second tier
Other News from the Media
- GOP misses chance to reshape environmental laws, thanks to a greening west and the alliance between environmentalists and traditional members of the GOP base, hunters and anglers.
- Tom Friedman wants the President to invest his political capital in wind
- Can’t believe I missed this: Amory Lovins and the one percent solution
- Europe passes tough chemical law
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix takes a look at the Senate line in ‘08
- Over at DailyKos they’re breaking out polls showing that America likes Democrats more than Republicans. The polls are based on sheets of paper passed out with instructions that said, “If you like Democrats check here, Republicans check here, if you want to go out Saturday night check here.”
- Matt Stoller at MYDD on the 50 State Blog Strategy
- National Review on the big shift in political demographics
- From grist:
o Just say no to fake guacamole
o The strangest biofuel sources
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Holy sour grapes, Batman! Michael Crichton, global warming denier extraordinaire, takes on a critic in his newest book by making him a child rapist. Please do not forget that Mr. Crichton was once one of Senator Inhofe’s prized witnesses.
- US Census Bureau: Americans are fat and lazy. That is all.
- The AP on Hooters (ahem, the restaurant)
- Career opportunities for Rick Santorum
- World’s tallest man saves dolphins
Quotes O’ the Day
"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Daily Briefing - 12/14/06

So much for the denials. The UK has recorded it's warmest year since 1659... yet they have chosen to back airport growth. Interesting. The New York Times tries to recalculate the costs of global warming, a tall task indeed, while the Indian Parliament discusses it generally. All of this while New England fishermen anxiously look towards the possible devastation of their coasts.

In Washington, the Democratic Senator from South Dakota, Tim Johnson, underwent emergency brain surgery late last night. Get well, Senator. I'll let you read the article to figure out the press ramifications. In more mundane news, Speaker-elect Pelosi has begun handing out committee assignments and two top Democratic appropriators have agreed to freeze all earmarks for the 2007 budget. I think I just heard Ted Stevens scream somewhere.

In '08 Prez news, puindits across the land are offering analysis and encouragement, generally pontificating as they do so well on the prospects of the potential candidates. Will on Obama, Novak on McCain, Broder on Vilsack. What, nothing on Mike Gravel!?!?

In other sad news, a species of dolphin formally located in the Yangtze River region has been declared extinct. Maybe this news played a part in the Pope speaking out for environmental causes. Moving from the sad to the frustrating, the Bush Administration continues to clamp down on scientists. There's a name for those who are afraid of logical things such as science and reason...

Finally, Texas Monthly named Dick Cheney "Bum Steer of the Year." Nothing elese needs to be said, on to the briefing!

MW

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Daily Briefing – 12/14/06
690 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Recalculating the costs of climate change
- UK sees warmest year since 1659
- Airport growth backed in UK, despite warming
- Gore spreads the message in the Berkshires
- Could devastate New England fish stocks
- Indian Parliament discusses global warming
- Insurance companies hedging their bets
- Culprits: Cars and Cows
- Grist: The best defense is a good offense
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) in intensive care after emergency surgery
- Democrats plan to take control of Iraq spending
- BE AFRAID: Space Terrorism!!!
- Committee assignments galore
Potential ‘08ers…
- Obama (George Will thinks he should run), McCain (Bob Novak on the corporation), Vilsack (David Broder thinks you should know more about him), Obama again (attracting donations), Kerry (supporting Gore’s cause), Edwards (leading in Iowa poll of caucus goers), Giuliani (staffing up), Clinton (the faith angle), Gingrich (to meet with Minuteman Project founder)
- Poll: Voters favor McCain over Clinton
- Some NH tidbits
Other News from the Media
- Chinese river dolphin declared extinct
- Early mammals took to the air, fossils suggest
- Chicago Tribune; Earmarks erased (including the bridge to nowhere)
- LA Times: Make malaria disappear
- More clamping down on scientists
- Pope pushes environment
…and the Blogosphere
- Chris Cilizza is stating the obvious on The Fix
- MYDD on the uber-compact Republican primary schedule
- HuffPo: An Inconvenient Truth viewing parties
- Reaction to Novak’s column on McCain from The Corner at NRO
- Instapundit gives us a porkbusters update
- From Grist:
o Rappers and water
o What NOT to buy for Christmas
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- If anybody is looking for a doctor, one just became available…
- Circumcision halves HIV risk
- Golden Globe nominations are out
- “Would Jesus shop at Wal-Mart?” Umm, would Jesus shop at all? I guess a new pair of sandals for that low, low price might be appealing.
- Dick Cheney, Texas Monthly’s Bum Steer of the Year
Quotes O’ the Day
"There is something fundamentally wrong with treating the earth as if it were a business in liquidation." - Herman Daly

Daily Briefing - 12/13/06

Wall street investors are taking a serious look at global warming and how it will affect their portfolios. A group in Louisiana is telling locals that climate change is the real deal, but an expert from Yale says not to abandon hope. Fred Singer, denier-extraordinaire, is gloating over the recently released IPCC report which lowered it's original projections of human impact by 25%. Hey Fred, they just lowered their projection, they didn't remove it.

In Washington, the Democrats have added ANOTHER victory. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX) cruised to a surprisingly large upset victory over incumbent Henry Bonilla (R-TX) in the 23rd district. This district was made nearly impenetrable thanks to Mr. DeLay's redistricting scheme, but it was redrawn after the Supreme Court deemed it a violation of civil rights. The addition of a large number of Latino voters (ahem, the lack of suppression), looks like what tipped the scales.

Chuck Todd of the National Journal is looking ahead and sees a long term Democratic majority in the Senate thanks to a ripe field in '08. Speaking of '08, Maureen Dowd takes a look at the Obama-Clinton scuffle. Gov. Romney tries to explain his "flip-flopping" on gay rights issues, and Sen. Brownback (known uber-conservative) sees room in the GOP tent for gay rights supporters. I'm confused.

The liberal blogosphere is all smiles today after chalking up another victory. Very unpredictable, I know. What is more interesting is the brewing feud between Tom DeLay and Arianna Huffington. The Hammer called out Ms. Huffington in one of his inaugural posts, drawing a sharp, yet witty response. Good times.

In the weird news, some people think soy products will make you gay. I'm not kidding. Another person stupid enough to interact with the brilliant Borat is suing him, and JibJab is back with a year in review! All that and more in the briefing.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 12/13/06
691 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Wall Street eyes global warming
- Don’t abandon all hope
- Times-Picayune: Climate change serious, group says
- The cows missed the movie
- Top scientists discuss global warming
- RCP: Alarmism and Cows
- How will global warming affect people in Georgia
- UN News Centre: No firm link yet between global warming and intensity of cyclones
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Make it 30. Democrat upsets incumbent in Texas 23rd
- Democrats consider outside ethics panel
- Majority of Americans support timetable for withdrawal
- Incoming Chairman of Intelligence Committee needs a lesson on al Qaeda
- Congress, White House to push ethanol
- A long-term Senate democratic majority?
Potential ‘08ers…
- Clinton v. Obama (Maureen Dowd’s take), Kerry (going to Iraq), Romney (needs to explain his record), Brownback (GOP tent is big enough for gay rights supporters), Vilsack (still looking for support), Obama (some NH’ans playing hard to get), Dodd (will decide soon), Clinton (dining with some old friends), Obama again (the path to power)
Other News from the Media
- Leo wants answers… environmental answers
- Tom Friedman wants us to keep learning
- Plan for tracking animals meets farmers’ resistance
- LA Times: Time out for earmarks
- Mine water quality predictions often wrong
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix: Another pickup for the Dems
o Hotline: Was it the Latino vote?
- RedState: John McCain wants to censor the internet
- Huffington Post: Why YouTube was created
- Oh man this is fun – Its Tom DeLay vs. Arianna Huffington
- TPM Muckraker: Swift Boat Vets slapped with $300K fine for
- DailyKos: On the Arctic Ice thinning
- From Grist:
o The world’s first cellulosic ethanol plant
o Top ten breakthroughs that could help cool the greenhouse
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- They tried to give me the award. I told them it would be better to give it to Mr. Craig, since he needs the press for his resurgent career
- Borat sued again
- Sometimes I really wonder if the internet is a new positive for society. It is articles like this that make me wonder if we were better off…
- But then I get to learn that people are living in the Star Wars set and everything seems good again
- JibJab’s year in review
Quotes O’ the Day
"I'm confident we're going to keep the Senate; I'm confident we're going to keep the House.” ~ Karl Rove, still 1 seat down in the Senate and now 31 seats down in the House

Daily Briefing - 12/12/06

So it looks like we will have a brand new "northern passage" by the year 2040, many thinks to greenhouse gas emissions. I am sure the Competitive Enterprise Institute could give us a litany of reasons for why this is an economically viable choice to limiting emissions now. It would be a grand study... paid for by (insert oil/gas company name here). Along with our soon-to-be northern passage to look forward to, it seems the greenhouse effect is not just affecting what is inside the greenhouse but also immediately outside. Space debris in the thermosphere lingers for a longer time thanks to the cooler and subsequently less dense section of our outer atmosphere. Fantastic.

In Washington, just like hoards of many other important bills, a measure on flood insurance has stalled. I am sure the people in the Gulf region are proud of their public servants. Along the approval front, seven out of ten disapprove of the handling of the Iraq War and President Bush is still clinging on the 30s in his general approval ratings. Double ouch. Today should wrap up the 2006 election season (welll the FL-13 debacle will drag on, but I'm going to ignore that) with the runoff election between Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX) and his opponent Ciro Rodriguez for the Texas 23rd. Democrats have an outside shot of making it a clean 30 seat gain if Rodriguez prevails.

In 2008 news, there is a lot of banter about Clinton-Obama, Obama-Clinton, Clinton... Obama. Who else is running? Oh right, there's a whole 'nother party. Hizzoner (Giuliani) took a couple swipes at the frontrunner (McCain), and Hizzoner's successor (Bloomberg) was compared to Ross Perot (in a good way... umm, ok).

In other news, the New York Times has a great piece on turtles' fight to ward off extinction. We also have a couple of editorials on oil and gas royalties, politicizing science, and food safety. In good news, a judge threw out an injunction against Borat basically saying (I'm just paraphrasing per se...) that if you are dumb enough to get drunk with people filming a movie and sign a waiver then enjoy the repercussions. Finally, Jon Stewart says goodbye to some of his favorite GOP Members and we all say goodbye to the oldest person in the world who died at 116 years old! Wow. All that and more in the briefing.

MW

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

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- The cost of an overheated planet
- By 2040, greenhouse gases could lead to an open Arctic Sea in the summers
- Global warming prolongs the life of space debris
o A space problem, the Washington Post calls it
- Planting trees is not enough
- The market to clear the air
- Grist: Wanting to know where that palm oil comes from
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Flood insurance reform stalls
- 7 out of 10 Americans disapprove of handling of Iraq War
o Meanwhile, people are calling for bipartisanship
- Texas 23rd runoff is today. Rep. Bonilla holds a slim lead in a final poll
- A promise to protect pages
- Earmarks are frozen… for now
- Al Franken for Senate? Becoming more likely…
Potential ‘08ers…
- Clinton (should relish Obama), Obama (media’s new rock star), Clinton v. Obama (anti-establishment establishment v. anti-establishment establishment), Kerry (Teddy ain’t gonna wait forever), Clinton again (wining and dining NH’ans), Romney (spending indicative of a run), Bloomberg (nothing like getting compared to Ross Perot), Huckabee (staffing up), Kucinich (he’s running again), Giuliani (jabbing at McCain), Gore (is running… for an Oscar)
Other News from the Media
- Reckless with food safety
- Getting ripped off by oil and gas companies is nothing new
- Turtles face their biggest threat: Humans
- EPA revises formula to calculate auto mileage, doing it correctly this time
- Does hospitality have to be so wasteful?
- LA Times: More politicized science at the EPA
- Utility company agrees to make big cuts in pollution in Illinois
…and the Blogosphere
- RedState: Tony Blair doesn’t like hyphens
- MYDD looks at the Brownback possibility
- The Fix on the TX-23rd race today
- From Grist:
o Running your car on grease
o An interview with an ANWR activist
o The six percent solution
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Gossiping is our lifeblood… or at least a form of quotidian hermeneutics
- In Texas, they’re fighting to help blind people hunt… please refrain from any better-shot-than-Dick-Cheney jokes, thank you
- No injunction for Borat
- Jon Stewart says goodbye to his favorite GOP Members
- World’s oldest person dies at 116
- Goodness gracious, making money isn’t their (the heads of Craigslist) prime goal!?
- A Loch Ness monster look-alike?! Awesome.
Quotes O’ the Day
“I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and dog-one it, people like me.” ~Stuart Smalley (aka Al Franken)

Daily Briefing - 12/11/06

In some good news, the UN released a report that says human impact may not have as drastic affect on global warming than originally thought. The report states that humans do still have a serious impact on climate change. In less opaque good news, Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), 2008 Presidential candidate stated yesterday that global warming and energy independence are his two top priorities. Here is hoping that the rest of the field, democrat and republican, follow suit.

In Washington, Congress welcomes back the prominent figure in "freezer-gate," Rep. William Jefferson. Maybe that's why the Democrats are focusing on the "youth" in their party. Meanwhile, the GOP leaves with a whimper... and with some namecalling... blah blah blah. The '08ers are "working" furiously... hitting NH, GOP infighting, and finding policy niches.

In other news, a not-so-good man dies in Chile. The NYT editorial board scolds the Bush Administration for muzzling scientists. Oh come on, you crazy liberals! Muzzling scientists?? That's nowhere near the worst thing they've done!

Finally, the liberal blogs are lamenting the win by Jefferson. The conservative blogs have gained a large player in Tom DeLay. And truthiness is Merriam-Webster's word of 2006! All that and more in the briefing.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 12/11/06
693 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- The Guardian: Beyond Words
- UN downgrades human impact on climate change
o Sen. Inhofe must be ecstatic
- ’08 hopeful says global warming and energy independence are top priorities
o Also from Indianapolis Star
- Climate fight goes national as Sen. Boxer plans action on emissions
- Hitting world’s big miners
- Australian government not dealing with warming quickly enough
- End of the ostrich era
- Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Blowing cold air on global warming
- Promoting nuclear power
- John Birch Society: Global warming cash cow
- My little global warming apocalypse
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Kofi Annan: What I’ve Learned
- “Cold Cash” Jefferson pulls out a win in LA-02 special election
- Seniority taking back seat to spirit
- Runoff in TX-23rd a tight race
- GOP laments mixed results as 109th comes to a close
o …And heaps scorn on its departing Senate leader
o While others merely left in a huff (Burns and Santorum) or with a joke (Chocola)
Potential ‘08ers…
- Obama (taking first steps in NH), Pataki (will decide in early ’07), Richardson (finding his niche), Brownback (the many conversions of), Romney (upsetting people on the right), Clinton (reaching out to the unions), Obama again (oh that crazy name), Edwards (hires an interesting aide), Bayh (global warming and energy independence are top priorities, yay!), Gingrich (returning to NH), Vilsack (fighting for support)
- Newsweek: The Shadow Boxing Begins
Other News from the Media
- Selling fuel efficiency the green way
- Has politics contaminated the food supply?
- Katrina begets a baby boom by immigrants
- Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet dies
- In Kansas, a line is drawn around a prairie dog town
- New York Times editorial: Muzzling Those Pesky Scientists
- House OKs bill to drill off of Florida and send royalties to four gulf states
…and the Blogosphere
- At MYDD they are mourning the LA-02 election and prepping for ‘08
- Tom DeLay has a blog now
- Huffington Post: An energy agenda for the new Congress
- From Grist:
o Biofuel skepticism
o On diamonds
- Ecorazzi: Celebs spreading the green on Oprah
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- A 2,100 year old computer? I bet it ran DOS
- “Truthiness” named word of the year by Merriam-Webster
- Maybe he could help with Iraq by having Bush and Maliki talk it out
- Study detects recent instance of human evolution
Quotes O’ the Day
An ode to the outgoing Congress, and most politicians – “A healthy male adult bore consumes each year one and a half times his own weight in other people's patience.” ~John Updike