Boiling Point: Democrats who make nice with Trump aren’t helping on climate

2 comments

1. Hey all, hope you’ll read my latest LA Times column and let me know what you think! Here’s how it starts:

   >*What do you do, as a politician, when your lawfully elected opponents reveal they have nothing but contempt for the Constitution, rule of law and separation of powers? Do you refuse to work with them, eschewing the norms of bipartisanship in favor of all-out political combat to defend democracy? Or do you choose your battles, accepting that voters made their decision and it’s your job to secure the victories you can for your constituents?*

   >*Gov. Gavin Newsom has seemingly made his choice. Newsom met with President Trump at the White House last week, part of an effort to secure wildfire aid for Los Angeles County. The governor said that people “need to see their representatives working together,” and that he has “no patience for people not working together in a crisis.”*

   >*Other Democrats are making similar calculations. Eight Senate Democrats voted to confirm Chris Wright, a fossil fuel executive who downplays the well-documented link between climate change and worsening fires, as Trump’s Energy secretary. Even Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a liberal icon and climate champion who didn’t vote for Wright, has said she’s looking forward to working with Trump on economic solutions for working people.*

   >*Not all Democrats are acting so cooperatively.*

   >*California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, has already filed several lawsuits against federal agencies, and said at a recent news conference that Trump has been* *“spitting in the face of our democracy”* *by refusing to comply with a court order to release congressionally mandated funds for clean energy and other priorities.*

   >*Trump’s determination to defy Congress and the courts shows clear disdain for the separation of powers spelled out in the Constitution — a bedrock of U.S. democracy. Vice President JD Vance and Trump advisor Stephen Miller have begun openly questioning whether courts should be allowed to serve as a check on the president’s power.*

   >*As part of his power grab, Trump has delegated sweeping authority to billionaire advisor Elon Musk.*

   >*A few years ago, climate advocates might have considered Musk in this sort of role good news for reducing fossil fuel pollution, whatever else Trump might do wrong. Musk, after all, runs electric vehicle company Tesla.*

   >*Alas, Musk doesn’t seem focused on climate.*

   If you’re interested, you can sign up to get my twice-weekly Boiling Point newsletter at [latimes.com/boilingpoint](http://latimes.com/boilingpoint)

2. Democrats have been pretending to act on climate change but are unwilling to make real progress because doing so would disrupt their corporate owners. The IRA work to support Methane-Based Hydrogen projects was all the proof you needed to understand they weren’t serious.

Comments are closed.