Even as the latest poll tells us that 48% of Americans believe that the seriousness of global warming is generally exaggerated (up from 41% just last year), President Obama and a small band of US Senators are still trying to push expensive job killing climate change legislation that puts a first-ever price on carbon emissions.

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The annual Gallup Social Series Environment poll show the more Americans now say global warming reports are generally exaggerated than ever before in the 13 year history of asking the question. (source) Evidently the lies, distortions and data manipulations of what has become known as Climategate" have not been missed by ordinary Americans. Yet the president and other elected officials are desperately holding closed door meetings to try to draft a Senate bill before the spring recess that begins March 26.

Why the rush? Just as with Obamacare, lawmakers know going home for the recess before at least drafting this type of unpopular legislation leaves them open to the same kind of town hall anger from their constituents that they experienced last summer. So rather than go home and listen to those they are sworn to serve, they want to make sure they've done as much as they can against the will of the people before they actually have to face the people.

Leading this particular climate change legislation charge are the lead authors of the propose bill: Senators John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). While it's no surprise that Senators Kerry and Lieberman are still on the cap & trade bandwagon, with his involvement on this issue and his back door negotiations with the White House to help them in their attempts to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Senator Graham has been very busy proving he is moving from RINO (Republican In Name Only) to MAWBAD (Might As Well Be A Democrat).

So between Monday's trip to Pennsylvania to push Obamacare and Wednesday's trip to Missouri to push Obamacare, President Obama found the time on Tuesday to sit down with 14 Senators (eight Democrats and six Republicans) and insist that the Senate stick to his plan to cap greenhouse gas emissions. In return he pledged to make concessions on oil and gas drilling and nuclear power. (source)

Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) also attended the meeting but said he will not likely support the Kerry/Lieberman/Graham approach which would put a price on carbon emissions. "It appears to me that course does not have popular support," Senator Lugar said, "Furthermore, it could be potentially difficult with regard to recovery from the recession. So we're attempting to do some things that are likely to help create jobs and profitability of businesses and savings for homeowners."

Meanwhile Senator Graham told reporters that he remains opposed to a "half-assed energy bill" that pushes for more oil, gas and nuclear power without also putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions. He also claimed the White House deserves credit for "compromising"

Graham told reporters afterward that he remains opposed to a "half-assed energy bill" that pushes for more oil, gas and nuclear power without also putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions and he said the White House deserves credit for signaling compromise on nuclear power and offshore drilling issues. What Senator Graham calls compromise sounds more like blackmail; no cap & trade/no increase in nuclear power or offshore drilling.

As with President Obama's approach to health care reform, he and his cronies are approaching energy policy by trying to force unpopular and dangerous conditions on the American people before they will consider making any reasonable improvements.