State of the Union
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Silly Season 2.0
To those with more than a casual interest in politics, “Silly Season” is a common term used to indicate the time running up to an election when the logic of Capitol Hill, such as it is, gets crazier than usual. Votes are scheduled or canceled depending on how much they would help or hurt the […]
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Obama's energy gambit: a call for less coal
None of the targets Obama offered in his State of the Union -- 80 percent clean energy, 80 percent access to high-speed rail, a million electric cars -- have any policy force. They are offered as signaling devices, attempts to frame political debates to come. In that context, I thought what he did on energy was quite a bit more interesting and significant than it's being given credit for.
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Obama calls for clean energy and high-speed rail in State of the Union
In his State of the Union, Obama called for 80% of electricity to come from clean sources by 2035, and 80% of Americans to have access to high-speed rail within 25 years.
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Obama's State of the Union: what he should say but won't
The best climate hawks can hope for from Obama over the next two years is to defend the EPA. Here's what he should say about it in his State of the Union.
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Palin bashes ‘cap and tax’ and commends Obama on nuclear
Sarah Palin’s much-anticipated speech Saturday night at the first National Tea Party Convention in Nashville included a one-minute-and-20-second disquisition on energy policy. She hit on her familiar talking points — drill here, drill now, “cap-and-tax” sucks. But she also commended Obama for highlighting nuclear power during his State of the Union address, a brief departure […]
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The Climate Post: The documents … they are … Alive! Alive!
First things first: With the electorate angry and frustrated, President Obama delivered a State of the Union address last night that articulated his goals for, among other things, modernizing the U.S. energy system and infrastructure, and addressing climate change. The president called for “a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make […]
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In State of the Union, Obama panders to conservatives on ‘clean energy’
I’m never sure how to write these reaction pieces to the State of the Union. I’m far past the point when my reactions bear any relation to Normal People’s. By all indications, Normal People loved Obama’s speech — instapolls showed positive reactions. Reviews from the punditocracy seem generally positive as well. Hell, Chris Matthews forgot […]
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The climate and energy section of Obama’s State of the Union speech
The text of Obama’s speech has been released. Here’s what it says about climate and energy: Next, we need to encourage American innovation. Last year, we made the largest investment in basic research funding in history – an investment that could lead to the world’s cheapest solar cells or treatment that kills cancer cells but […]
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State of the Union: Inefficient
The State of the Union is in a few hours, and folks are abuzz about what the president will say. Count me among those who are expecting a strong push for clean energy to create jobs and jump-start our economy, but I wonder if the president will spend much time discussing where we are right […]
