THE FINE PRINT - AT 9:05 A.M. ET:  Looks like all those contributions made by trial lawyers to the Democratic Party are bearing fruit.  From The Washington Times:

Self-proclaimed victims of global warming or those who "expect to suffer" from it - from beachfront property owners to asthmatics - for the first time would be able to sue the federal government or private businesses over greenhouse gas emissions under a little-noticed provision slipped into the House climate bill.

Environmentalists say the measure was narrowly crafted to give citizens the unusual standing to sue the U.S. government as a way to force action on curbing emissions. But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sees a new cottage industry for lawyers.

"You could be spawning lawsuits at almost any place [climate-change modeling] computers place at harm's risk," said Bill Kovacs, energy lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The bill was written by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman, California Democrat, and Rep. Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts Democrat. Both lawmakers declined repeated requests for comment.

COMMENT:  This is utterly outrageous, but follows the usual liberal pattern:  If you can't get something through the normal democratic process, get it through lawsuits. We can easily see corporations entirely tied up with lawsuits, and many businesses forced to close.  This, of course, is the dream of the left - make the environment perfect and wreck free enterprise at the same time. 

We have only read about this provision in The Washington Times.  I wonder if any other news outlet that celebrates the "people's right to know" will cover it.

April 11, 2009