TPMDC Copenhagen: December 2009
Climate Change
Reports: Deal Reached In Copenhagen
Christina Bellantoni | December 18, 2009, 3:56PM
President Barack Obama and the Earth
This just in from Copenhagen after daylong talks between President Obama and key world leaders at the climate summit: a deal has been made.
A U.S. official tells the press the United States "has reached a meaningful agreement with China, India and South Africa."
We'll keep you posted, but check out our earlier coverage here and here.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (38) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Climate Change, Copenhagen
Climate Change
Climate Scramble In Copenhagen
Christina Bellantoni | December 18, 2009, 10:42AM
President Barack Obama and the Earth
President Obama and his Green Cabinet are scrambling to salvage a possible deal during climate talks in Copenhagen, with the president hosting private meetings with world leaders and multiple reports of tension between delegates.
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says Obama is huddling for the second time with world leaders he spoke with earlier, and notes Yu Qingtai, Special Representative on Climate Change Negotiations of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is representing China at the meeting.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (3) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, China, Climate Change, Copenhagen, Green Cabinet
Joe Barton
GOP Congressman Defends China Holding Up Climate Change Deal
Eric Kleefeld | December 18, 2009, 10:03AM
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX)
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) has done something we wouldn't usually expect from a Republican: Sympathize with China, and otherwise consider international affairs from the perspective of a country not friendly to the United States. On the other hand, this does involve undermining the Obama administration on climate change.
Barton, one of the GOP members of Congress visiting the Copenhagen conference for the purpose of telling delegates that America won't pass cap-and-trade, told Politico yesterday : "I don't consider what China is doing to be obstruction, I consider it to be reality."
"They are not going to, all of a sudden, put aside all of the technology and economic development they are doing just to meet some political goal in the West... I don't hold it against them," he added. "What would we have done in 1850 if England, France and Germany said... 'You can't build factories'? We would have told them to go jump in a lake."
DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer put out a statement lambasting Barton and the GOP for siding with another country against America: "Republicans joined the Taliban in cheering when the U.S. failed to land the Olympics, they talk down any good economic news and now we have leading House Republicans siding with China and against America while abroad. Unfortunately, for the American people, today's Republican Party does not hesitate to throw America under the bus if the establishment thinks it will help return them to the failed policies of President Bush that left our economy in shambles."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (5) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: China, Climate Change, Copenhagen, Joe Barton
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | December 18, 2009, 9:00AM
Obama: Imperfect Climate Deal Better Than None
Speaking at the Copenhagen climate conference, President Obama declared that an imperfect climate deal would be better than no deal at all. "No country will get everything that it wants," said Obama, also saying: "We are running short on time. We are ready to get this done today. But there has to be movement on all sides."
Obama's Day In Copenhagen
President Obama arrived at 8:30 a.m. local time (2:30 a.m. ET) in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the conference on climate change. He held a 9:30 a.m. bilateral meeting with Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, delivered brief remarks at a 10 a.m. plenary session, and met at 11 a.m. with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. At 12 p.m., he participated in an official photo with heads of state and the heads of the U.S. delegation. He met at 2:15 p.m. with Brazilian President Lula da Silva. He will participate in a 3 p.m. afternoon plenary session. He will meet at 4:30 p.m. with President Dmitry Medvedev. Later, he will depart from Copenhagen, en route back to Andrews Air Force Base in Washington.
Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Climate Change, Copenhagen, Iraq, John Boehner, Lindsey Graham, Mike Mullen, Roundup
Climate Change
Obama Huddling With China To Salvage Climate Deal
Christina Bellantoni | December 18, 2009, 8:39AM
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and President Barack Obama
The climate change summit in Copenhagen is nearing its conclusion and reports from the scene suggest the talks are hanging in the balance.
Upon arrival instead of his planned schedule, Obama joined 18 world leaders in hopes of salvaging a deal. After speaking to about 8,000 United Nations delegates, Obama held a private meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao for nearly an hour.
Obama and Wen asked negotiators to get together one-on-one "to see if an agreement can be reached," a White House official told reporters.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (3) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, China, Climate Change, Copenhagen, Green Cabinet, White House
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | December 17, 2009, 9:03AM
Senate GOP Accuses Parliamentarian Of Democratic Bias
Senate Republicans are accusing Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin of bias in favor of the Democrats, when he allowed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to withdraw his single-payer amendment in the face of a Republican push to have it read aloud and thus delay the legislation process for hours. "If there was any good faith, it's gone," said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), adding: "No one can say this is a fair process when they basically have a Parliamentarian in their pocket."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET, will meet at 10 a.m. ET with members of the National Economic Council, and will meet at 11 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 6:50 p.m. ET he will depart the White House, taking off at 7:05 p.m. ET from Andrews Air Force Base en route to the Copenhagen climate-change conference.
Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Climate Change, Copenhagen, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Karl Rove, Mike Mullen, Nancy Pelosi, Roundup
Copenhagen
Pelosi Sends Overnight Delegation To Copenhagen
Christina Bellantoni | December 17, 2009, 7:29AM
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a delegation of 21 members to climate talks at Copenhagen last night, taking critics and boosters along as world leaders prepare to finish out the most crucial portion of the conference.
President Obama leaves tonight and plans to speak tomorrow, but this morning Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dominated the news in Copenhagen by pledging the U.S. would support a $100 billion climate fund. But China is saying a global pact is unlikely.
Pelosi said her delegation will meet with representatives from key countries and with "advocacy and business leaders to discuss job creation."
"The House of Representatives has taken historic action to address the climate crisis and transition our country to a clean energy economy," she said in a statement.
"We see Copenhagen as a meeting about job creation - how do we move forward to create millions of clean energy jobs and new technologies to keep America number one," Pelosi said. "We are going to send a message of support for the Obama Administration's efforts and we bring with us the strong commitment of the Congress to take action, as the House of Representatives did in June."
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) also made the trip despite a busy senate schedule that could have prevented his plan to, as he puts it, debunk global warming as an issue.
Don't miss our slideshow of protests at Copenhagen and see Pelosi's full list after the jump.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (0) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Climate Change, Copenhagen, Hillary Clinton, James Inhofe, Nancy Pelosi, White House
Green Cabinet
Dear Obama: Biden Pens Green Memo To President
Christina Bellantoni | December 14, 2009, 11:59PM
The White House has released a "progress report" on clean energy efforts as detailed in a memo from Vice President Joe Biden to President Obama on the eve of Obama's trip to Copenhagen.
"I'm pleased to report that the administration is laying the foundation for a clean energy economy that will create a new generation of jobs, reduce dependence on oil and enhance national security," Biden writes.
Read the memo, titled Progress Report: The Transformation to A Clean Energy Economy here.
White House climate czar Carol Browner said the administration has shown a commitment to clean energy in a way that has sparked investment from the private sector.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (2) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Copenhagen, Green Cabinet, White House
Roundup
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | December 12, 2009, 1:17PM
Obama: Republicans And Financial Lobbyists Seeking To Block 'Commonsense Reforms'
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama, President Obama proposed the pending financial reform legislation, which passed the House of Representatives yesterday. And he excoriated the Republicans and the financial lobbyists for seeking to block it:
"These are commonsense reforms that respond to the obvious problems exposed by the financial crisis. But, as we've learned so many times before, common sense doesn't always prevail in Washington," said Obama. "Just last week, Republican leaders in the House summoned more than 100 key lobbyists for the financial industry to a 'pep rally,' and urged them to redouble their efforts to block meaningful financial reform. Not that they needed the encouragement. These industry lobbyists have already spent more than $300 million on lobbying the debate this year."
Blackburn: GOP Is For Clean Energy -- But Not Taxing People Out Of House And Home
In this weekend's Republican address, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) discussed how she and other Congressional Republicans will be visiting the Copenhagen summit on climate change. Blackburn spoke out against cap-and-trade proposals:
"Republicans are all for clean water, clean air, and clean energy. We just don't think we have to tax people out of their house and home to get there," said Blackburn. "That's why we have proposed an 'all of the above' energy strategy that says, let's put every clean, responsible energy option on the table so we can create jobs, ease the strain on family budgets, and clean up our environment."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (7) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Copenhagen, Health Care, Joe Lieberman, Marsha Blackburn, Medicare Buy-In, Roundup, Sarah Palin, Tammy Baldwin
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | December 9, 2009, 9:38AM
Palin Blasts Climate Change Science, Copenhagen Conference
Sarah Palin has a new op-ed piece in the Washington Post, attacking climate-change science as fraudulent and blasting President Obama for his plans to attend the Copenhagen conference: "In his inaugural address, President Obama declared his intention to 'restore science to its rightful place.' But instead of staying home from Copenhagen and sending a message that the United States will not be a party to fraudulent scientific practices, the president has upped the ante. He plans to fly in at the climax of the conference in hopes of sealing a 'deal.' Whatever deal he gets, it will be no deal for the American people."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:35 a.m. ET, and meet with a bipartisan group of members of Congress at 10:50 a.m. ET. Obama will make a statement to the press at 11:50 a.m. ET, and at 12:20 p.m. ET will make a Recovery Act announcement on community health centers. Obama will meet with business and environmental leaders at 2 p.m. ET. The President and First Lady will depart from the White House at 7:15 p.m. ET, en rote to Oslo, Norway.
Topics: Barack Obama, Climate Change, Copenhagen, John McCain, John Thune, Mark Penn, Roundup, Sarah Palin, Steny Hoyer
Climate Change
Obama Meeting With Gore Today On Climate Change
Christina Bellantoni | December 7, 2009, 11:25AM
President Barack Obama and the Earth
The White House adds a new meeting to President Obama's schedule: former Vice President Al Gore.
The Oval Office huddle takes place as global climate talks begin in Copenhagen.
The White House says the private, 4:40 p.m. sit-down is "in advance of his Wednesday meeting with business and environmental leaders" about Copenhagen
Gore will attend, and Obama will go at the end of the conference.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (10) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Al Gore, Barack Obama, Climate Change, Copenhagen, White House
Climate Change
Change Of Plans: Obama Going to Copenhagen At End Of Climate Talks
Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 4:54PM
President Barack Obama and the Earth
President Obama was all set to go to Copenhagen for the global climate change talks next week, but the White House has announced a change of plans.
Environmental experts and other nations questioned the effectiveness of the president's decision to attend the conference at the beginning instead of at the end when other world leaders were gathered there.
One reason for the shift is that Obama intended to get things kicked off. Before the conference has even started China and India announced major carbon reduction plans for the first time ever, and Europe and Australia have settled on a $10 billion per year to help developing countries meet whatever is established as the new framework.
The White House says Obama always wanted to attend the talks when his presence would be most meaningful, and given the early positive signs, it made sense for him to delay the trip.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs just released a statement saying that Obama will do just that.
"Based on his conversations with other leaders and the progress that has already been made to give momentum to negotiations, the President believes that continued US leadership can be most productive through his participation at the end of the Copenhagen conference on December 18th rather than on December 9th," Gibbs said.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (2) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Climate Change, Copenhagen, Environment, Green Cabinet, White House
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