For energy reform advocates, lessons from health care - Washington Post

...That effort ended late last month when Senate Democratic leaders acknowledged what insiders already knew -- they had come up around 10 votes short.
...
When legislation dies, it is often with a whimper, not a bang. The final months of the cap-and-trade debate saw the air seep slowly from the balloon -- strategy meetings we attended that once drew dozens were attracting just a handful.
...Environmental groups had come together behind a smart, well-funded public education campaign....the anger is real. One environmental organization staffer told us that members of his group contorted themselves to accommodate everyone, and got left knotted up and empty-handed. Others are grumbling that, after spending $100 million to build public support for energy reform, they were left at the altar by Congress and the administration.

[Just $100 million? Remember this from 2008]: Gore unveils $300m advertising blitz to force climate debate | World news | guardian.co.uk

Al Gore, elevated to almost prophetic status for his campaign against global warming, on Sunday night unveiled a new $300m advertising blitz intended to force a debate on climate change during the presidential elections.