Sure, Parnes story may seem for all the world like gossipy drivel but think about it: A major national political site has devoted a story to the TV watching schedule and kitchen habits of the spokesperson for the member of Congress in the hottest swing district in the country. No way this is just an overly long story about chicken stir fry and cabbage!

Politico:

Ben Marter spent most of last week working late and eating out. So, this weekend, the communications director for Rep. Betsy Markey was craving some home-cooking.

Who cooked? He did.

We asked Marter–who enjoys playing the role of the sometimes-chef–what showed up on his dietary dossier this weekend.

On Friday night, at home with his girlfriend, Marter cooked up a spicy chicken stir-fry with broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, green beans, peanuts and onions, and seasoned with with ginger and lemongrass.

“I recommend it,” he said.

Saturday morning, he took some of the leftover broccoli, onions and mushrooms, added jalapenos, and made omlettes for a zingy breakfast.

The story goes on and on like that. Really it does. There must be a code. It simply can’t be about what it’s about. Marter beware: Politico’s on to you and the Colorado Independent isn’t far behind!

[Photo of Ben "jus an ole stir fry guy" Marter via Politico courtesy Ben Marter ]

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The landmark climate change bill, which seeks to reduce carbon emissions in the United States 80 percent by 2050, passed out of the House by a scant seven-vote margin late Friday (219-212), with Colorado Democrats Diana DeGette, Betsy Markey, Ed Perlmutter and Jared Polis voting for the bill.

“We applaud the Colorado representatives who voted for this critical legislation, yet we are disappointed with Reps. Salazar, [Mike] Coffman, and [Doug] Lamborn for opposing this critical legislation,” Pam Kiely, legislative director for Denver-based Environment Colorado, said in a release.

Salazar, brother of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, told the Denver Post he couldn’t justify raising utility rates in his largely rural 3rd Congressional District at a time when the economy is just now starting to stabilize.

Markey also represents a mostly rural and more conservative district but voted in favor of the bill because of last-minute pro-agriculture changes to it. DeGette, vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee that painstakingly negotiated the framework of the bill over the last several weeks, said the costs to the average American will be negligible.

Independent analysis by the Congressional Budget Office and the EPA puts the costs at less than $200 a year for the average American, instead of the thousands predicted by Salazar.

The Colorado delegation’s mostly partisan divide on the bill mirrored the final vote. After an intense day of arm-twisting, 44 House Democrats voted against it and eight Republicans — providing the margin for the bill to pass — bucked strong GOP opposition and voted in favor.

Now the bill moves to the Senate, where the Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed a version last week that was criticized by environmentalists for not going far enough in establishing a national renewable electricity standard.

Colorado Sen. Mark Udall, instrumental in establishing this state’s standard (which now stands at 20 percent renewable sources by 2020), first proposed then pulled an amendment that would have increased the national RES in the Senate version from its current level of 15 percent by 2021. Udall didn’t have the votes but hopes to get the job done on the full Senate floor.

In a statement Friday, Udall said it will take bipartisan cooperation to get a Senate version of the House bill passed.

“When Republicans and Democrats work together we can do great things. I’ve spent many years reaching across the aisle on the state and national level to pass an RES. It’s become a reality in Colorado and I believe it’s time to bring that same spirit of ingenuity to the national level. If we all work together, our country could follow Colorado’s lead on passing an RES. But more importantly, we could finally take one of the biggest steps in implementing new and meaningful energy policy.”