The Washington Post reports that some Democrats aren’t too thrilled about the Obama administration’s announcement of new regulations on carbon emissions—namely, the ones facing reelection this year.
Democratic strategists understand the political implications for their clients:
"If I were running, I would get the governor to sue and try to tie it up in the courts," said Jim Cauley, a Kentucky-based Democratic strategist who managed Obama’s first Senate campaign. "Coal has just become the cultural litmus test as to whose side you are on."
Chris Lehane, a liberal political strategist/crisis management expert who advises eco-billionaire Tom Steyer, agrees that Democrats shouldn’t dwell on the climate change issue, but should totally try to scare people into voting for Democrats:
"You’ve got to win Iowa, you’ve got to win New Hampshire, you’ve got to keep Colorado" to keep the majority, Lehane said. In each state, Steyer-funded ads will point to immediate threats posed by climate change, whether through droughts, flooding, fracking or public health. "As much as I love polar bears and I love butterflies, we’re not going to be talking about them in these campaigns."
Regrettably, Lehane’s love for animals does not extend to the majestic bald eagles, dozens of which are murdered every year by wind turbine and solar death machines.
Lehane gained notoriety for his time as an aide in the Clinton White House, where he authored the 332-page memo purporting to outline the "vast right-wing conspiracy" against the first couple.