Fact Checker: Deeds Wants to Clarify Cap-and-Trade Views

After reading our Fact Checker on whether state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds supports cap-and-trade despite worries that it could eliminate 1,500 jobs at one of the biggest employers in his backyard, Mike Gehrke, communications director for Deeds' campaign, took exception to the statement that Deeds' position is unclear.

So, by way of clarification, Gehrke offers some remarks -- and a shoutout to Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb -- that Deeds made during the June debate:

"Climate change is a serious issue and the people in Washington ought to be dealing on the issue of global warming," Deeds said. "Let's face it, in a recession any legislation that's going to call for an energy price increase for consumers or put Virginia or American businesses at a disadvantage is not good policy. I'm confident again that Senators Webb and Warner will protect our interests. On cap and trade I will tell you that I think Congressman Boucher did the yeoman's work to protect Virginia's business. I'm confident that Senators Warner and Webb will do more."

Now, in case you're wondering what the yeoman's work was, Gehrke also offered two items on Rep. Rick Boucher's efforts to create a cap-and-trade bill that would reduce greenhouse gases without inflicting too much pain on Virginians.

One is an article from The Bristol Herald Courier describing Boucher's rationale for backing the bill. Boucher told the newspaper he felt he had little choice but to back some sort of cap-and-trade measure, now that the Supreme Court has upheld environmental laws that view carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as pollutants. Such regulation is unavoidable.

In a piece in the Roanoke Times, Boucher discusses his efforts to help craft a bill that grants utilities offsets on the limits to invest in pollution controls.

Clearer now about Deeds' views? Or Boucher's?

-- Fredrick Kunkle

By Anne Bartlett | September 7, 2009; 9:00 AM ET
Categories: 2009 Governor's Race , 2009 Governor's Race Fact Checker , Creigh Deeds , Fredrick Kunkle Share This: E-Mail | Technorati | Del.icio.us | Digg | Stumble Previous: Grand Jury Investigating Hamilton's ODU Job
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Comments

Very good post!

Posted by: robertjsmithiii | September 7, 2009 11:33 AM | Report abuse

Support for cap-and-trade has evaporated. Daily I read editorials, comments and letters-to-the-editor from all over the nation. Whereas when the House passed the bill it was maybe 2-to-1 against cap-and-trade, opinion now is off the charts against it. The Senate will be wise to bury this unpopular, complex and risky legislation.

-- Robert Moen, www.energyplanUSA.com

Posted by: Rmoen | September 7, 2009 11:47 AM | Report abuse

So, Deeds' & Boucher's position is that, getting bent over was inevitable, so he sought to apply a little political 'grease' to make things less painful for his business constituents in Va.
Baloney.

Posted by: OttoDog | September 7, 2009 4:38 PM | Report abuse

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