Are Democrats Fumbling Away a Potent Clean Energy Offense?

WASHINGTON—For a lesson in how to fumble away a chance to educate constituents about the potential value of solid climate change legislation look no farther than north central Ohio.

The home district of Democrat John Boccieri is just minutes west of the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, and the rookie representative has revealed hands of stone this summer as he clunks and clanks through an explanation of his June 2009 "yes" vote for the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

Conversely, some 400 miles south—in an enormous swath of Virginia that includes Charlottesville—another Democratic rookie legislator looks like gridiron great Lynn Swann, of Pittsburgh Steelers fame, on the same issue. Rep. Tom Perriello speaks with passion, grace, flair and confidence when explaining his vote for the global warming measure sponsored by fellow Reps. Henry Waxman of California and Ed Markey of Massachusetts.

On the stump and in an interview with the Washington Post, Boccieri’s support for the climate bill seems tepid at best. His audience drifts away when he makes lame attempts to delve into the complexities of cap and trade. Under the same circumstances, Perriello makes it clear that the legislation is about jobs, clean energy and energy independence for Virginia and the nation.

Boccieri, an Air Force reservist who flew C-130s over Iraq for more than a year, won Ohio’s 16th District with 55 percent of the vote in 2008. Perriello, who worked as a national security consultant in places such as Afghanistan and Liberia, squeaked to victory in Virginia’s 5th District by just 727 votes in 2008. Both face difficult re-elections.

Understandably, environmental organizations are dismayed that dozens of House Democrats seem to be following Boccieri’s timid defensive pattern. Instead of mimicking Perriello’s robust response, they seem to be backpedaling, repositioning themselves as moderates and blaming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sold them a bill of goods by vowing that the Senate would quickly embrace equally aggressive climate legislation.

So, what gives? Why aren’t some candidates owning the climate issue?

“Support for strong climate legislation is a political winner if politicians are willing to stand up and speak about it with conviction,” Jason Kowalski, policy coordinator for the advocacy organization 1Sky told SolveClimate News in an interview. “Although they have no tangible results to show for it because the Senate failed to act, they shouldn’t be afraid to defend their vote, especially since the opposition won’t hesitate to demonize them.”

Even 17-term Democratic incumbent Ike Skelton, D-Mo.—who won 66 percent of his district in 2008—is reluctant to frame the climate bill in terms of growth and prosperity for Missourians. Instead he dredges up the argument that a vote for Waxman-Markey was the only way to tame runaway Environmental Protection Agency bureaucrats from having free reign over costly regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.

While conventional inside-the-Beltway wisdom might tell House Democrats to back away from Pelosi and reinvent themselves as moderates, 1Sky shrugs that off.

“They shouldn’t be qualifying their votes,” Kowalski said. “Americans are overwhelmingly supportive of clean energy solutions. People aren’t going to take to the streets and volunteer for candidates who aren’t defending their voting record.”

“The messaging battle for the outcome of this election is starting now,” he continued, adding that Perriello is staying out of murky water by keeping unflinchingly on-point about clean energy jobs. “On the other hand, Boccieri is not standing up for what he voted for and wavering on his message. His opponents smell blood in the water and that’s one reason he’s being targeted.”

“Real” or “Fake” Opposition?