Awful: Manchin is again shrinking climate provisions. This could weaken US leadership at the global climate conference. This, even as a new AP poll finds 55% of Americans support action. The malapportioned Senate is the bane of our existence. My latest:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
A new quote from Manchin captures why we're in trouble.
"I’m totally out of sync with 48 other Democrats,” he said. "I’m just trying to survive in a very, very divided Congress in a very divided country."
This seems harmless. But it isn't.
Here's why.
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
Yes, Manchin is smack in the middle of a "divided Congress."
But he is NOT smack in the middle of our "divided country."
He is both right of center of public opinion *and* able to decide all alone what the majority party passes.
That's the problem:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
New AP poll finds only 16% oppose using fines and rewards to prod power companies to transition to clean energy.
Only 16% agree with Manchin!
Meanwhile, solid majorities favor action and say science is persuading them.
Manchin has too much power:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
Small fossil fuel states wield outsize power over our climate agenda, in part due to the skewed Senate.
But it gets worse. This could now harm the US's ability to exercise international leadership on climate, to avert the trajectory toward catastrophe:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
The illusion that the country is evenly divided on climate, and that the Senate mess reflects this, obscures the real problem: That the obstacles to progress are structural, and that Manchin wields too much power while being well to the right of center:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
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