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Senator Claire McCaskill, who has been anything but a shining star on thoughtful thinking for creating a prosperous and climate-friendly America, has let loose with another doozy.

“I think it’s still a work in progress,” said Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, who worries that a cap would be a loser for Democrats in November. “You know, it took 50 years on health care.”

As with so many of Claire’s comments when it comes to energy policy and climate issues, this is a sad-mix of truthiness and disinformation:

1. Yes. Any climate action taken today or this year in legislation or otherwise will be, without question, “a work in progress”.  We have created the problem over the long-term, even as we worsen it at a faster and faster pace.  We can’t solve this with one action, with one piece of legislation, with one swoosh of a magic wand.   Any action taken will be a “work in progress” but, quite simply, Claire, we don’t have “50 years” to begin serious action on climate change issues.
2. “You know, it took 50 years on health care” certainly implies that Claire things that, somehow, things are solved when it comes to health care legislation.
3. A “cap would be a loser for Democrats in November” because of, in no small part, comment by people like Senator Claire McCaskill spreading misinformation about the implications of moving forward with clean-energy action to address climate change mitigation. [See note 2.]

Study after study from reputable organizations show that Americans (and Missourians) would be net winners from sensible clean-energy/climate-mitigation legislation … without even accounting for improved health, improved productivity (in part due to fewer sick days), and reduced damage from climate change (and reduced risks of catastrophic climate change).

As long as people like Claire continue to spread falsehoods that climate action would unduly punish Missouri families, moving forward with sensible legislation will be difficult to impossible.

NOTE 1: Claire McCaskill is one of the most active Senators in the Twitter realm. A reminder, as per To Twit Claire, this post is a reproach (although some might call it a taunt) to some of Claire’s “twitting” habits.

twit (twt)

tr.v. twit·ted, twit·ting, twits

To taunt, ridicule, or tease, especially for embarrassing mistakes or faults.

n.

1. The act or an instance of twitting.

2. A reproach, gibe, or taunt.

3. Slang A foolishly annoying person.