How strange am I? Sitting here watching the sun set and moon rise over the Dead Sea–spectacular lower half sliver–and following Gore’s testimony via Brian Beutler’s live-blogging. Hard to tell just exactly what’s going on, but it seems Gore has backed away from his prior support for a massive carbon tax-payroll tax swap…now he’s limiting himself to a cap-and-trade system that will reduce co2 emissions by 90% in 2050. Which is an easier pill to sell than a tax (at least, front end), which may be an indication that Gore is…thinking politically? Hmm.
Meanwhile, John Edwards continues to distinguish himself–with a well-timed global warming proposal that would reduce co2 by 80% by 2050, but with at least one real stick–polluters would have to buy permits to emit co2 (under other plans, these permits are simply distributed free-of-charge, then gradually reduced).
Without question, Edwards has run the most specific–and courageous–campaign of any Democrat so far. Even if I don’t agree with all his proposals, I’m impressed.