From The New Republic’s Environment and Energy blog The Vine:

Swing Senators Still Optimistic About Cap-And-Trade
Darren Samuelsohn of ClimateWire has a very helpful piece re-assessing the prospects for cap-and-trade legislation in the Senate. A carbon cap can’t go into the budget reconciliation bill this year, which means Republicans can filibuster, which means it’ll need 60 votes to pass. But climate legislation isn’t doomed yet. A bevy of swing Democrats, from Mary Landrieu to Carl Levin, still sound sanguine, as they watch the debate over the House energy and climate bill slowly unfurl. One crucial dynamic: If Waxman and Markey can drag along key conservative Dems in the House, that could help garner votes in the Senate, too:

Consider Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), a member of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition. Ross also sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and his vote could be pivotal to the climate bill’s chances for success both in the House and with Arkansas’ senators, Pryor and Blanche Lincoln (D).

“I guarantee you if Mike Ross is OK with it, it goes a long way with me if he’s with it,” Pryor said. “I still have to make a judgement myself. But if he’s OK with it, it means a lot to me.”

Read the rest of the post here.