Senate DEMs v. EPA

Change you can believe in: Sen. Harry Reid and Jay Rockefeller are working on getting the votes needed to delay the Environmental Protection Agency's climate regulations for two years.

A vote on Rockefeller's plan would be merely symbolic as the Democrat controlled House has no plans to take up this measure, which also faces an insurmountable veto threat by the White House.

Rockefeller's reasoning for the lame duck session vote is so Republicans in the next Congress don't go for further than two years. This makes no sense whatsoever. All this vote accomplishes is getting Senate Democrats on-record voting against curbing greenhouse emissions. Reid will still be majority leader in the next Congress. If Reid was a real leader he would keep his caucus in line. What Reid and Rockefeller are signaling to House Republicans is the Senate Democrats can be rolled over on environmental regulations.

Rockefeller's actions make sense when viewed through the prism of campaign contributions. Peabody Energy, American Electric Power, General Electric, CONSOL Energy and Allegheny Energy are listed on OpenSecrets.org as Rockefeller's all-time contributors. Reid doesn't have near the energy industry influence on him. Reid knows his caucus members receive contributions from major energy players and he doesn't want that influence being swayed to Republicans. This vote is all about money.

Democrats want to know why the base stayed home in 2010. Stupid votes like this are the reason.