President Obama will “find the votes”

President Obama said in Pittsburgh on Wednesday that he is committed to get a comprehensive energy and climate bill passed. We knew that – President Obama understands that passing comprehensive energy and climate change legislation is also a key to a more prosperous economy,. But every time it has seemed on the cusp of happening, something has gotten in the way:

• The run-up to the December, 2009 Copenhagen conference seemed the ideal time to move, providing the President with a tangible demonstration of US commitment and leadership that he could leverage to advance a global agreement. But then healthcare became the all-consuming hot-button issue and everything else fell off the table.
• Then it was financial reform that dominated the headlines and the attention of the President and the Senate. Not surprising, given the huge importance of setting our financial house in order, but so big that there was little room for anything else.
• Senators Kerry, Graham & Lieberman were set to introduce their legislation in the Senate when the Arizona immigration law passed, setting off a political firestorm, an outcry for immediate action on immigration reform and the loss of the climate legislation’s Republican sponsor, Lindsay Graham.

It’s hard to blame President Obama for this. He’s probably capable of moving forward more than one major project at a time. Unfortunately, the Congress, the media and the public seem to only be able to give their attention to one issue at a time.

So, what he said in Pittsburgh this week was important. First, he was very clear on the driving need:

But the only way the transition to clean energy will ultimately succeed is if the private sector is fully invested in this future — if capital comes off the sidelines and the ingenuity of our entrepreneurs is unleashed. And the only way to do that is by finally putting a price on carbon pollution.

Then, he made the commitment to address that need:

The House of Representatives has already passed a comprehensive energy and climate bill, and there is currently a plan in the Senate — a plan that was developed with ideas from Democrats and Republicans — that would achieve the same goal. And, Pittsburgh, I want you to know, the votes may not be there right now, but I intend to find them in the coming months. I will continue to make the case for a clean energy future wherever and whenever I can. I will work with anyone to get this done — and we will get it done.

In the wake – literally and figuratively – of the BP oil spill in the Gulf, this could be a commitment that won’t fall off the table. If the President can keep his – and the nation’s – focus on it, comprehensive energy and climate legislation could yet be passed this year. Let’s hope so.

(The President’s speeches are refreshingly cogent and well-argued. At his best, he can weave several topics together without seeming to be running down a laundry list. Read the entire Pittsburgh speech and see how you think he did.)