From "Republicans Go Out on a Political Limb on Budget" (my emphasis):
The energy bill — it was officially known as American Clean Energy and Security Act — passed the House narrowly but ran into a blockade in the Senate which was never resolved.
That left lots of House Democrats — including a large number representing districts in the industrial midwest — having to answer for a vote that was broadly unpopular in their region and for which they had no successful final product.
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The final vote — 235 yeas, 193 nays — included only four Republicans casting “no” votes and not a single Democrat voting for the plan.
While the vote was quickly hailed as a victory by Republican leaders, there is reason to believe that for some of the 61 GOP Members who sit in districts President Obama carried in 2008 it may well be a defining moment — and not in a good way -- of their first two years in Congress.
I always knew the Republicans were squirrelly on policy, but I thought they were shrewd politically. Now I'm not so sure. This is the most puzzling vote I can remember.
If the Democrats retake the House in 2012, it will be because of this.
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