Hot Air » Blog Archive » Feingold backing away from cap-and-trade?

Obama has two separate but overlapping problems in the Senate for his cap-and-trade bill. He will face the same contingent of Democrats that are skeptical about big-government solutions in health care, whose skepticism will grow for government-dictated energy production caps. The bill will also get opposed on a regional basis with Senators from coal states. Some of these overlap, such as Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor from Arkansas, Evan Bayh from Indiana, and others.

Feingold, however, shows the threat to the bill from what should presumably be a solid left wing. No matter how much Feingold likes big government solutions, he understands that his constituents do not, especially when it means big hikes in energy costs and massive layoffs. Feingold will not be alone in this, either. Obama can expect opposition from Senators in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Robert Byrd already announced his opposition to it. Even reconciliation won’t save cap-and-trade, because Obama will probably not get 51 votes for it, and certainly can’t possibly get 60.