Freshmen Democrats hope their support for the climate change bill won’t cost them their jobs in 2010.

From the Politico

Rep. Thomas Perriello relishes an energy fight with Republicans  — even here in the rural Southside.

The freshman lawmaker understands the potential consequences that he and other vulnerable Democrats face for backing a sweeping climate-change bill, and rather than ducking the issue, he’s embracing what may have been the toughest vote of his young political career. 

“There’s got to be something more important than getting reelected,” Perriello said in an interview with POLITICO. “If I lose my seat, and that’s the worst that happens, I could live with that.”

But the 34-year-old believes Democrats will win this fight.

“This is a gift,” Perriello said of the vote. “For the first time in a generation, we have the chance to redefine our energy economy. …This is a great moment for us.”

It’s unclear whether voters in this part of Virginia, where tobacco farms are shrinking, textile mills have shut down and unemployment remains well above the national average, will embrace Perriello’s optimism about green jobs and cap and trade. Like many Democrats from Republican-leaning districts, Perriello is back home this week defending what may be a game-changing vote with consequences for 2010.

Perriello is one of the top targets in a national barrage of attack ads by the National Republican Congressional Committee, which has paid for a rare off-year television ad campaign against Perriello and launched radio ads and automated phone calls against a handful of his fellow Democrats.

But Republican confidence may be a little premature.

“This is an issue that is very dependent on the overall state of the economy,” said Larry Sabato, who runs The Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, in an e-mail. “If the economy continues to be bad through 2010, then voters are more likely to give credence to the GOP charges.”

However, “if the economy improves,” Sabato continued, “voters won’t find the attacks credible. Really, how is anybody — even a professional economist — to know exactly what the effect of this bill will be? It’s so entangled with the rest of the economy.”

Share This

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

About the author

Don Irvine
Don Irvine is Chairman of Accuracy in Media. He is active on Facebook and Twitter. You can follow him @donirvine to read his latest thoughts.

5 Comments for Dems Could Pay for Climate Change Vote

Stephanie Davis

Dems and RHINOs should lose their jobs 4 supporting bad legislation. “Cap and Trade=bad legislation”

Matt Browning

NEITHER party is on “our side”…Ron Paul was the answer, and the “powers that be” excluded him and laughed at him. Shame on apathy! The political “process” in this country is dead.

http://www.NorthwestHomeland.org

Hamilton

Dems and RHINOs should lose their jobs 4 supporting bad legislation. “Cap and Trade=bad legislation”

Richie

“Global warming” is a perfect example of the Nazi method of “the Big Lie”, where if you shout nonsense long enough people will believe anything. Why do you think the EPA report debunking this idiocy was suppressed?? Vote for this bill…get voted OUT!!

TK

Re: Post 2;

I agree with your statements that “… The political “process” in this country is dead …” and “…NEITHER party is on “our side”…”

The political process of participatory democracy been replaced by “rule by money” manipulated by special interests.  And, as you infer, BOTH parties have been EQUALLY corrupted by this circumstance.