energy policy

The Rorschach Candidacy of Hillary Clinton

Thom Hartmann on Donald Trump's other strong appeal to Republican voters (hint: Think Ross Perot). People who like Trump for this reason are potential Sanders voters. Mainstream Democratic trade policy, another party problem, is discussed below.by Gaius PubliusSchedule note: This will be the last piece for a few weeks from me. Writing will resume the third week of August.

Is Protecting The Environment A Political Issue? Meet Alex Law (D-NJ)

A few weeks ago we met the young progressive Democrat Alex Law, taking on the corrupt Norcross Machine in New Jersey's First Congressional District. His opponent is George Norcross's younger brother Donald, whose first vote in Congress was to cross the aisle and vote with the Republicans to take decision-making for the Keystone Pipeline out of President Obama's hands. New Jersey environmental groups have long rated Donald Norcross as the worst Democrat in the state legislature.

Big Energy Has All The Money It Needs To Buy Any Politician It Needs To-- In America And In California

ManchinAccording to Pulitzer Prize winner Barton Gellman, author of Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency, Cheney grabbed the Energy portfolio even before the Supreme Court halted the recount and handed the presidency to him and Bush. Since 1990, Big Energy has poured $445,583,154 directly into the campaign coffers of congressmen and congressional candidates-- $303,699,712 of it to Republicans.

Solar Energy In L.A.-- And Japan

Monday night I was at the Hammer Museum for a screening of Shaun Kadlec's and Deb Tullmann's fantastic new film, Born This Way, a documentary on the gay and lesbian underground in Cameroon. Afterwards I ran into Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti. Eric's an old friend and one of the smartest politicians I've ever met. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and he studied Urban Planning at Columbia. I doubt L.A. has ever elected anyone as qualified to be mayor in its entire history.