Space Failed East Ohioans (The Intelligencer)

The Intelligencer

Editorial

June 29, 2009

We don't know what favors, if any, U.S. Rep. Zack Space, D-Ohio, was promised by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and possibly President Barack Obama. We do know that Obama and Pelosi lobbied intensively to convince members of Congress to vote in favor of the Waxman-Markey Bill - otherwise known as "cap and trade" - on Friday.

By the thin margin of 219-212, the House of Representatives approved "cap and trade." All three members of the House from West Virginia - Democrats Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall and Republican Shelley Moore Capito - voted against the bill. So did U.S. Rep. Charles Wilson, D-Ohio. Wilson, an early opponent of the measure, defied party discipline to vote in the best interests of his East Ohio constituents. We believe they will remember that when he comes up for re-election.

We hope East Ohioans will remember how Space voted, too. With knowledge of how badly thousands of families in his district will be hurt by the bill, if it becomes law, Space turned his back on his constituents. He chose to vote with Pelosi, D-Calif., and with Obama, who had made "cap and trade" one of his top priorities.

The dishonesty and politics used to pass "cap and trade" were truly astounding - to those of us in America's heartland, at least. In Washington, such tactics are accepted, even encouraged and rewarded.

One example of the frantic rush to "spin" the issue during the last few days before the vote on Friday is illustrative. On Wednesday, liberals released part of a Congressional Budget Office study claiming "cap and trade," if enacted, will cost American families an average of only $175 a year. That simply is not true. It will cost families in our area much, much more. It will cost some their jobs.

But the $175 figure was not low enough. So, on Thursday, "cap and trade" supporters claimed the Environmental Protection Agency had set the cost at an average of $140 a year.

Still not good enough. So, on Friday, the very same liberals who previously had used the $175 and $140 figures claimed that, well, the cost would only be $80 to $110 - according to the EPA.

It was that process of lying to the American people - and that is exactly what happened - that Space rewarded with his "aye" vote on the Waxman-Markey bill.