Listen to the wind blow...

This is why I have no hope that even the most honest and high minded elected representatives inside the beltway can retain their integrity after more than two terms in office. The wind farm proposed to be built offshore in the Massachusetts bay should be, as they say, a no-brainer. It's ecologically sound, it could produce clean energy and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Just about everybody agrees it's a good project. Everybody that is, but most of the legislators in MA, current Gov. Romney and the top 1% tier of wealthy folks who can afford to maintain gracious summer estates on the Vineyard.

The latter opposes it because it will ruin their pristine long distance views. The former oppose it because the latter are the ones who donate the big bucks to campaign coffers. The manner in which the interested parties are attempting to kill this project is a textbook lesson in backscratching politics posing as public policy.

Two Alaskans inserted an amendment into the Coast Guard reauthorization bill that would give final say over the project's fate to Gov. Romney. Romney has made no secret of the fact that he intends to veto the project. No public debate would have been held on the amendment had not two Senators come forward who vow to attempt to strip it out of the final bill. As the NYT notes:

Apart from its negative implications for the country's energy future, the amendment would create a terrible precedent by giving a single governor absolute veto power over energy projects in federal waters. And the fact that a few members of Congress can emerge from nowhere at the last minute to kill a project on which millions of dollars and countless hours have already been spent is almost certain to discourage entrepreneurs and investors from pursuing similar projects in the future.

It just goes to show that when it gets down to the down and dirty on energy policy, even the so-called liberals put monied interests ahead of the common good. I suppose it should have been expected that when wealth became the only avenue to office, only the wealthy would be served. It makes a good case for public financing of campaigns.