Fans of the American Enterprise Institute got a jolt last week following reports that the conservative think-tank held a five-hour session to discuss ???framing and selling a carbon pollution tax.???
The session, according to David Jenkins of the Republican-leaning group ConservAmerica, was ???a very casual informal meeting.???
Among the participants on the schedule were some figures not familiar to the AEI crowd: former Rep. Tom Downey (D-N.Y.), Kevin Curtis, a senior official of Al Gore???s climate campaign and former Clinton Administration Commerce Undersecretary Rob Shapiro.
Conservative climate critics were not impressed, with Marlo Lewis of the Competitive Enterprise Institute remarking that ???when left and right join forces, the appropriate question is: ???Who???s duping whom???????
A few days later, speaking to the Washington, DC-based Heritage Foundation, Tony Abbott???leader of Australia???s conservative opposition and the favorite to become prime minister in the next election???was asked what ???Plan B??? was if his promise to repeal his country???s carbon tax was unfulfilled in parliament.
???To keep going with Plan A,??? Abbott shot back, ???If at first you don???t succeed, try again. We mean to be rid of the carbon tax.???
