Obama prods undecided to pass climate, energy bill

Fourteen senators from both parties, including several who remain undecided on the climate bill, met for more than an hour with Obama, four Cabinet members, and Carol Browner, White House energy adviser.

Robert Gibbs, White House spokesman, said Obama wants a comprehensive bill that includes a cap on emissions of pollution blamed for global warming.

“The president’s strong belief is that in order to transition ourselves away from our dependence on foreign oil and into a clean-energy economy, that we need a strong incentive to do that,’’ Gibbs said.

A bill sponsored by Senators John F. Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, and Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, aims to cut emissions of pollution-causing greenhouse gases by 17 percent by 2020. The bill would abandon a broad “cap-and-trade’’ approach to reducing carbon pollution. Instead it would apply different carbon controls to different sectors of the economy.

Kerry called the meeting “terrific’’ and said Obama “made it very, very clear that he believes it is critical to have a price on carbon,’’ a move that some Republicans and business groups oppose because it would raise the price of oil and coal.

Kerry said lawmakers were “moving very rapidly’’ to draft a bill that could be on the Senate floor this spring.

Kerry and other lawmakers are looking at cutting the nation’s output of heat-trapping greenhouse gases by targeting, in separate ways, three major sources of emissions: electric utilities, transportation, and industry.

Power plants would face an overall cap on emissions that would become more stringent over time. Motor fuel may be subject to a carbon tax whose proceeds could help electrify the US transportation sector. And industrial facilities would be exempted from a cap on emissions for several years before it is phased in.

-- Associated Press

“It doesn’t make any difference what my intentions were; it’s how it’s perceived by the individual who receives that action,’’ Massa said on conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s Fox News Channel show. “I’m telling you I was wrong. I was wrong. My behavior was wrong. I should have never allowed myself to be as familiar with my staff as I was.’’

The Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, reported yesterday that the House ethics panel is investigating allegations Massa groped multiple male staff members in his office. Massa has previously claimed his misconduct was limited to using inappropriate language with staffers.

Asked directly on Beck’s program whether he sexually groped anyone, Massa replied: “No, no, no.’’

Massa, however, recalled tickling a staff member at a birthday party.

“Now they’re saying I groped a male staffer,’’ Massa said. “Yeah, I did. Not only did I grope him, I tickled him until he couldn’t breathe, and four guys jumped on top of me. It was my 50th birthday and it was kill the old guy.’’

Massa said his actions may have been misinterpreted.

“If somebody on my staff was offended, uncomfortable, thought I was inappropriate, I own that,’’ Massa said. “It’s why I resigned.’’

-- Associated Press

P.J. Crowley, chief department spokesman, said he regretted any offense caused by his response to a reporter’s question about Gadhafi’s recent call for a holy war against Switzerland. Libya said last week it might take action against American business interests there if a formal apology was not made.

“I understand that my personal comments were perceived as a personal attack,’’ Crowley told reporters. “The comments do not reflect US policy and were not intended to offend. I apologize if they were taken that way. I regret that my comments have become an obstacle to further progress in our bilateral relationship.’’

Crowley had already said his offhand remark questioning the “sense’’ of Gadhafi’s speech to the UN General Assembly last year had not been intended as a personal attack. He met with Libya’s ambassador to the United States last week, but he had not apologized until yesterday.

-- Associated Press

Spokeswoman Maude Salinger said Doris Haddock died last night at her home in Dublin. Salinger, who is also a family friend, said Haddock died of chronic respiratory illness, surrounded by her family.

Haddock was 89 when she walked 3,200 miles to draw attention to overhauling campaign finance regulations. At 94, she ran for the US Senate against Republican Judd Gregg.

A public memorial service is planned.

-- Associated Press

Obama will speak to graduates at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on May 8. On June 11, she will address graduates at Anacostia Senior High School, a Washington, D.C., public school Obama visited last year as part of her mentoring program.

And if students at George Washington University complete 100,000 hours of community service before their May 16 graduation, Obama will speak at that commencement, as well.

-- Associated Press