Speed Gibson

As Mark Levin might bark, "What the hell has happened to my party?" Jason Lewis thinks we should rename ourselves the Whigs, from whose demise over the slavery question emerged the Republican party. Senator John McCain, secure in his status as the presumptive Republican standard bearer, may just be the catalyst of a similar split, even if he is elected. For the GOP is a mess right now, both nationally and here in Minnesota.

The Democrats have posted three upset Congressional special election victories. Locally, we lost Steve Sviggum's the SD 25 seat, insult to the injury of the huge DFL gains in 2006. Prime Minister Pawlenty would have lost as well had not Mike Hatch fumbled on the goal line. The only people holding back the Democrats are themselves Democrats, like Minnesota Senator Larry Pogemiller.

[Hat tip to commenter - I had the wrong special election. --SG]

And what are our standard bearers doing, Mssrs. McCain and Pawlenty, possibly our fall ticket? Going left. Going hard left. "I'm a conservative Republican, dammit!" growls McCain or words to that effect. But recently he said:

We know that greenhouse gases are heavily implicated as a cause of climate change. We know that among all greenhouse gases, the worst by far is the carbon dioxide that results from fossil fuel combustion.

These statements are outrageously false. Is McCain ignorant or lying?

By the year 2012, we will seek a return to 2005 levels of emission. By 2020, a return to 1990 levels and so on until we have achieved at least a reduction of 60% below 1990 levels by the year 2050.

The same faulty models that predict global catastrophe also predict the climatic effect of all this is unmeasurable, less than a small fraction of one degree. Only the economic impact is significant and undeniable, women and children hardest hit, of course.

What better way to correct past errors than to turn the creative energies of the free market in the other direction. Under the cap and trade system, this can happen. In all its power, the profit motive will suddenly begin to shift and point the other way toward cleaner fuels, wiser ways, and a healthier planet.

As carbon becomes currency, Congress won't of course tax it or cut specific businesses any favors.

I had assumed that in the interest of national security I would hold my nose and vote for McCain. This dangerous, unforced error of enviro-lunacy plus the near-certainty of full amnesty and open borders when McCain again reaches across the aisle has me reconsidering whether to cast a Presidential vote at all this fall.