Pyrrhic Victory?

On Fox News Panel tonight, Nina Easton of Fortune Magazine says that the tempest in the House over the Cap and Tax bill is a lot of noise over nothing very much.

She says this is going nowhere in the Senate.

She claims that regardless of the other and ostensible arguments for and against it, the bottom line is that this bill is a Carbon TAX, and with the current state of the economy, the Senate is simply not prepared to pass the biggest tax bill in the history of America. Not even Democrats.

(Apparently she believes there are Democrats in office capable of rationalizing such a complex thought—I applaud her optimism though I don't necessarily share it.)

I mention this as preface to reporting that the House has, indeed, passed this monstrosity that virtually none of them has read (1500+ page bill and a 300 page amendment dropped on their desks within a few hours of the vote).

And according to preliminary reports the amendments—concessions & giveaways to special interests and industry, farmers, coal companies, energy companies & donor constituencies does undermines the very stated purpose of the bill...to lower carbon emissions.

The biggest winner, according to Ms. Easton is....Wall Street!

They will have a new market in trading "carbon credits", which are "energy derivatives" . If this sounds familiar, it's because it was what Enron was involved in. They were big supporters of a Carbon Credit market, and lobbied heavily for just such a bill as this before they became the poster child for financial fraud.

So you know it must be a good idea. Right?

Charles Krauthammer says the bill is a monstrosity and a mess. He says it is a job killer, a huge tax hike on consumers.

House vote: 219 - 212. With all the heavy lobbying, personal phone calls by Øbama, threats and bullying...Nancy could only pull out a 7 vote victory.

I get that a win is a win...and that the ZerØ Zømbies will claim it a victory - as will Pelosi, but I think we all know better. The Progressives put everything they had into this fight...and they very nearly came up short.

As someone on the losing side...that's the best comfort I can take.

We're making progress. I believe a few months ago, it would have passed by a much bigger margine. The blush, as they say, may be coming off the røse.

I can only hope Ms. Easton is correct, and that the Senate will kill this abortion before it hurls us into the abyss of utter ruin.

Lobby your Senators starting Monday. They are the last stop before Armageddon.

The Gunslinger