Climate bill delayed

Looks like the Senate may have gotten an ear full while back home for the Fourth of July. Now the Washington Post reports that hearings on the "cap and trade" bill have been put off until September.

"The leading Senate committee responsible for developing the climate change legislation has delayed by at least a month its crafting of a bill, leaving less time for Congress to fulfill Obama's desire to enact a law this year.

"We'll do it as soon as we get back" in September from a month-long break, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer announced. "

The delay means that the bill probably won't be ready for Obama to display at the Copenhagen talks on a climate change treaty in December, but there is disagreement about that:

"Asked if the delay in her committee hurt chances the Senate will pass a bill this year, Boxer said, "Not a bit ... we'll be in (session) until Christmas, so I'm not worried about it."

But she did not guarantee Congress will be able to finish a bill and deliver it to Obama by December in time for the Copenhagen meeting.

"I want to take this as far as we can take it (before Copenhagen). The more we do the better," Boxer said.

Senator Charles Grassley, the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, which also has a significant role in developing the climate legislation, was more pessimistic. "I don't even expect it to come up this year" in the Senate, he told reporters. "

This is one of the worst bills to ever come before the Congress. Passing it now (if ever) would create very serious pain in an already suffering economy.

Its sheer stupidity.

The Chicken Littles in the Democratic Party, rather than avoiding a falling sky, are much more likely to bring it down on all of us.