by auros [courtesy of Calitics: Soapblox California - Front Page]

I don't know how many people picked up on this, but there was a tidbit in Obama's speech that may be important, and I'm hoping somebody will ask him to expand on it (and I plan to dig through his website later to see if there's more info)...
He said that he would launch a carbon cap-and-trade system, and that he would auction off the credits.  One of the big arguments in regard to cap-and-trade, is whether to allow businesses that currently emit to start off in the system holding credits -- "grandfathering" them in.  (This is tied up with Bush administration's efforts to make expanding an existing dirty business not trigger "new source review".)  If folks know that in a year or two they're going to have to bid in an auction for the right to continue their current businesses, we're going to see much faster reductions in CO2 emissions.

In other global-warming news, Chris Dodd came out foursquare in favor of a carbon tax.  I guess an advantage of having no chance, is you can say things like that...

by dday [courtesy of Calitics: Soapblox California - Front Page]

The CDP created a new rule with regard to resolutions in this convention.  In order to be able to bring a resolution to a floor vote, it either has to make it through the Resolutions committee or be outright rejected.  If it is referred or tabled, it cannot be brought to the floor.  This is a brand new rule that nobody anticipated, that was not voted on by the delegates, and that seems, dare I say, undemocratic.

And this is exactly what was done with the Net Neutrality resolution at the convention.  Worse, they referred it to the Labor Caucus.  Now, there is absolutely no precedent for referring a resolution to a caucus.  It's never been done before.  There's no mechanism for the Labor Caucus to do anything with it.  This was simply a way to push aside the Net Neutrality resolution in order to hope it is forgotten.  We in the netroots cannot let this happen.  It's antithetical to the notion of democracy and a free & open Internet.

(BTW, this was also done with respect to other resolutions, including impeachment, Iraq, and Iran resolutions put forward by Progressive Democrats of America.  I spoke with Marcy Winograd about this earlier, and there will be some fireworks at the next resolutions committee meeting at 5pm PT.)