Cap and Death or Cake and Trade.

Cap And Trade needs to go away soon. Compared with some of the huge failures that the Republicans have had lately, this one would not even be a blip on the radar. To be succinct, the President is losing support by playing to the Democrat base on this one.

While there are a few positive elements of the bill, it is a stinkeroo of biblical proportion. President Obama cannot afford to lose this much of the middle on an issue and hope to maintain the principal of his political capital. He very well knows it.

This was a test of how far to the left that the administration could move on an issue. The answer is that he couldn't go very far on it at all. A very large component of the American electorate is disinclined to invest much faith in the idea of Global Warming. Pitching the bill in terms of the bicoastal left hasn't helped matters much.

Obama didn't invest a lot of his personal popularity in this issue. He knows it would be foolish. There is a better way to achieve the same result and improve his popularity.

Let "Cap and Trade" die. The only people who would miss the term were going to vote for Obama anyway. Give Cap and Trade the Goldfish Funeral it deserves, let it sink to the bottom of the Potomac Tidal Basin, and never allow it to resurface like Jason Voorhees in a Friday the 13th movie.

This strategy is Bill Clinton Classic. Obama should lead with his left and lay the Republicans out with his right. A sympathetic Blue Dog Democrat could be enlisted to introduce a more center-friendly bill which includes a few concepts from the Conservative lexicon.

A terriffic acronym is always a good start. Let's call this one "Defense Energy Autonomy Legislation (DEAL). Cap and Trade evokes images of Eddie Izzard's "Cake or Death" routine, without that whole annoying "cake" meme. (A tip of the Wandering Gentile Toupee to absent friend Ms. Banana from "American Fool" for the introduction to Mr. Izzard. Ms. Banana is sorely missed.) The idea is that even if one questions the validity of DEAL, the person most likely to be questioning is going to have a very difficult time opposing "Defense" or "Energy Autonomy."

Defense and Energy Autonomy serve as cupcakes to Blue Dogs and Republicans. The Interstate system began with the ostensible purpose of serving military interests, not polyester-clad RV drivers. Not even Ike could spend that kind of money without resolving a significant defensive issue.

Energy independence and the technologies to achieve it would be a huge jumpstart for American leadership. As far as our defensive needs go, we would be well served by taking away the leverage that energy has given a legion of despots in multiple world hotspots. War is difficult to wage when unable to buy the tools.

We begin with the massive "Hannah Montana" birthday cake, offering tax credits based upon the deployment of American-sourced green energy technologies. It culminates with maximum credit to individuals and businesses which become net producers of green energy. This becomes revenue-positive by starting a brand new industry. Someone has to design, manufacture, install, transport, and maintain green energy solutions. These people will buy homes, automobiles, durable goods and so on.

With large scale production, the accessibility of individualy-based solutions would be increased dramatically. Does anyone remember US$350 pocket calculators? As Americans take the lead, our industry begins to export to other markets. While some countries may not be enthusiastic about American leadership, the United States is still seen as an honest broker. No petrodespot can touch our integrity.

Don't even think that the Russians or the Chinese want to be vulnerable to the caprices of regimes sympathetic to the Uyghurs or the Chechens. They are not Tibet and Georgia.

At some point, likely within ten years or so, the United States could have a surplus of energy. It could be used to refine sewage and seawater to provide irrigation for non-edible grain or sugarcane on land which is not currently arable. This could serve as an abundant substitute for petroleum motor fuel.

The defense component could also be leveraged to provide eligibility for health care through the existing VA mechanism to any participant in the program. It might not be fancy, but it certainly beats no health care. The sum total of a bill like this would not only demonstrate American leadership and exceptionalism, a lot of very unpleasant people would be abased.

Anything that takes Ahmadinedjad and Rush Limbaugh out in one shot is definitely worthy of consideration.