Recession reality written into climate bill amendment

The American Clean Energy and Security Act presently being debated in Washington seeks to lower green-house gas emissions and promote alternative energy. GOP detractors have called it a “cap and tax” bill that dares in a recession to place the…

Media watch: GOP and Politico tag-team vulnerable Dems

The National Republican Congressional Committee told Politico yesterday it was targeting swing-district Democratic officials, like Colorado’s freshman Rep. Betsy Markey. The NRCC said it was going to wage an expensive attack campaign featuring TV and radio ads in districts around the country. But it didn’t do that. Instead, it spent not a dollar in simply telling Politico it was going to do that and Politico wrote all about it. Nasty work, and done dirt cheap!

GOP targets Markey — and Obama — for vote on ‘national energy tax’

As predicted, Republicans are hitting freshman U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey for her vote Friday favoring the sweeping energy bill narrowly passed by the House. The National Republican Campaign Committee on Wednesday unveiled a robocall set to start ringing on…

Markey certain target of GOP anti-Clean Energy attack ads

National Republican leaders are likely planning to target Colorado’s U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey for her vote Friday in support of the Clean Energy Act. Republicans say the new bill places the environment above people and will cut into the struggling economy. The fact that similar regulatory laws have led to job creation in Colorado in the state’s expanding new-energy economy likely won’t temper the attacks.

Politico reports members of the National Republican Congressional Committee believe vulnerable Congressional freshmen like Markey, who represents the state’s conservative 4th District, may have cast “a career-ending vote.” The NRCC is orchestrating a campaign against against the officials that will feature TV and radio commercials as well as robocalls.

Markey’s odd politics of apparent conviction

Colorado’s surprise Democratic Representative for the conservative 4th Congressional District, Betsy Markey, is no party-line voter and she won’t be swayed, it seems, by obvious political strategy considerations. Her vote for the Clean Energy Act Friday was more evidence that she is being lead by her own lights. Her swing-vote position with the majority makes her a disproportionately powerful first-term member of Congress — and therefore maybe the best possible choice in 2010 for clear-headed 4th District Republicans.