Believe it or not, bipartisanship is not yet dead

At least the conservatives over at New Majority are seeing some glimmers of hope with respect to the recent Graham-Kerry proposal for climate change legislation:

This rare display of constructive bipartisanship has breathed new life into efforts to pass climate change legislation this year and dramatically changed the tone of the debate.

Suddenly, Democrats are uncharacteristically open to nuclear energy and additional offshore oil drilling.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) called the Graham/Kerry effort “encouraging” and added, “As a supporter of increased nuclear and domestic energy production, I think there is receptivity in the House to additional discussion on these issues.”

Environment and Public Works Committee chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who previously voted against a climate bill because it promoted nuclear energy, now appears willing to have a robust nuclear provision in her own climate bill.

On the Republican side, Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)—a leader in the effort earlier this year to brand the House climate bill a “cap-and-tax” proposal—said the Graham/Kerry effort “could be a major step forward,” and Senators Murkowski, Corker, Collins, Isakson and McCain also offered positive comments....

Of course none of this will matter to the loudest voices on the right who are blinded by partisanship and a radicalized world view. Senator Graham will now become the target du jour of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, as does any Republican with the audacity to seek bipartisan solutions to our current problems.

For the sake of our nation, our party and our planet, other Republican Senators need to ignore the voices of polarization and roll up their sleeves like Senator Graham.