Seeing the Round Corners

July 18, 2016

NO ENDORSEMENT OF HILLARY CLINTON
  American saw the culmination of a Presidential campaign this week like none other in this country's history. The Republican Presidential nominee took on more of a “Presidential” demeanor as convention time approached and a Vice Presidential running mate was selected. Americans could almost hear a country-wide sigh of relief when Indiana Governor   Mike Pence (and not New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ) was selected. News reports Monday morning were that Christie was livid over not being selected.
News interviews this weekend had quite a different tone indicative most likely of results coming out of all those platform meetings and strategy sessions leading up to the Republican National Convention starting on Monday in Cleveland, Ohio.
  Also indicative of the growing acceptance of Donald J. Trump as the nominee was the almost dramatic decline in rhetoric from various “powers-that-be, upper echelon, old-line” Republicans. The world is really heart broken at the announcement by the almighty Bush family that it will not attend the 2016 Republican National Convention. What a relief!
  Across the aisle, perhaps the most notable change in the political rhetoric is the lack of coverage of every word uttered by Hillary Clinton since the FBI/Lynch announcement there would be no indictment in the e-mail server scandal/investigation. The lack of one-on-one interviews was downright phenomenal! Not even a peep from spouse Bill glorifying Hillary. What a pair!
  Typically, American trade unions always support the Democratic candidate for President across the board in all ways – money contributions, endorsements, get-out-the vote, you name it. But here in 2016, that is not the case.
  The President of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers, AFL-CIO/CLC, announced in its April-June 2016 The Reporter it could not endorse Hillary Clinton. The refusal to endorse a Democratic candidate for President by the Boilermakers is the first time in modern-day history.
  The Boilermakers Union is one of the oldest unions in America, with a membership of more than 100,000, and the Union is a strong supporter of carbon, capture, use and storage (CCUS) technologies. According to the Union President,  “These technologies could be advanced at a much more rapid pace than they now are, with global leadership and a major investment in research and development.”
  The announcement by the Boilermakers Union included these points which are relevant to more than just the coal mining and coal-fired energy generation, facts that are left out by those promoting alternative energy:

  • the application of carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) is not solely for the benefit of coal-fired plants;
  • CCUS is needed to capture carbon from natural gas generating plants, steel mills, aluminum smelters, cement plants, refineries and other industrial facilities; and
  • CCUS is needed to capture carbon from auto engines, jet engines, ship turbines and other CO2 sources.

   Summarizing his announcement, the President of the Boilermakers Union said of President Obama's legacy on climate change:  “His legacy is one of shattered communities, shuttered power plants, shutdown coal mines – and lost blue collar jobs numbering in the tens of thousands.” “Obama missed an opportunity to leave behind a bold and enlightened climate change legacy. Instead, he has put a bandage on the problem and unleashed a regulatory regime that is doing more harm than good.”
  More on the coal mine industry and coal miners in another column, which the Republican Presidential candidate has already mentioned several times in recent weeks.

The reader's comments or questions are always welcome. E-mail me at doris@dorisbeaver.com.