Although there's been some talk (a lot in some quarters) that the huge oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico can be a defining moment that will finally revitalize Americans to come together in terms of realizing where the country should go regarding energy, there's been little to no movement publicly in support for a climate change/energy bill in the U.S. Senate, weeks after Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman (but not Lindsey Graham) introduced their legislation, which, if approved, could be matched to the cap-and-trade energy bill passed by Nancy Pelosi's House of Representatives last summer.
Now, the group VoteVets.org is spending $1.5 million on a television and web ad campaign, trying to make the connection between the BP spill and national security. It features a veteran who served with the Louisiana National Guard, cleaning up the spill, from a polluted shoreline in Louisiana. Watch:
The television ad will run on national cable, with versions running in states with Senators who have committed to supporting the Lieberman/Kerry bill, including Louisiana, Florida, Maine, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, and New Hampshire.
Both Florida U.S. Senators have not spoken that they favor the bill. Senator Bill Nelson doesn't like it for its provisions on off shore drilling, while George LeMieux has said he needs to see some leadership from President Obama to get behind it, telling the New York Times last month that"
"If they want to do something, it's going to have to come from him," said Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.). "His leadership is going to be required on any of these issues that are left. He's not going to just be able to leave it to Congress. He's going to have to articulate what his views are, and press for them."