moveon targets dingell

I just recieved the following letter from MoveOn. I thought that I’d pass it along, as it’s on a favorite topic of mine – John Dingell. There’s going to be another post on Dingell later tonight, if I can stay awake, but I wanted to share this first. The folks at MoveOn say it much more clearly than I could ever hope to.

Dear Michigan MoveOn member,

If you’re confused about where John Dingell stands on climate change, you’re not alone.

As the chair of the powerful Energy Committee, Rep. Dingell has long used his position to block progress on global warming–even though, as recent polling shows, the vast majority of his constituents support initiatives like raising the gas mileage of cars.

So it was a major victory for progressives last week when he wrote an OpEd in the “Washington Post” endorsing strong fuel efficiency standards and laws that make companies pay to pollute.

But just days later, the old John Dingell was back. In a critical vote on Saturday he was one of only 38 Democrats to oppose boosting solar and wind power.

We need more of the new John Dingell. Can you write a short letter to the editor asking Rep. Dingell to honor his new promise to lead on climate change? Writing a letter to a local or national paper is easy with our online tool. Just click (here) to get started.

The letter to the editor page is the most read page in the newspaper, and if enough Michigan voters speak up, it will be harder for Rep. Dingell to backpedal on his promises.

For years, he’s been one of the Democrats’ loudest skeptics on climate change, resisting laws that might crimp auto industry profits. Even as evidence mounted that better fuel efficiency would not only save us from a climate crisis but also save Detroit from economic ruin and keep American companies competitive with European and Japanese automakers, he stayed the course.

So, Dingell’s apparent change of heart was a welcome surprise. But with his vote last week, it’s in doubt.

Congress has promised to come back with a climate bill in the Fall. Rep. Dingell can focus his energy on getting legislation in place that forces real reductions in greenhouse gases–or he can continue to cover for industry. To get a bill that can actually solve the crisis, we’ll need to see tough actions, not just words, from Dingell and other leaders.

Here are some facts you can include in your letter: