Coastal-Heartland Energy Divide (Amongst Democrats)

"Most of the policy makers on Capitol Hill and in the administration charged with shaping legislation to address global warming come from California or the East Coast, regions that lead the country in environmental regulation and the push for renewable energy sources."

Democrats from the manufacturing, coal-dependent heartland may not be on-board.

"This 'brown state-green state' clash is likely to encumber any effort to set a mandatory ceiling on the carbon dioxide emissions blamed as the biggest contributor to global warming, something Mr. Obama has declared to be one of his highest priorities.

Obama has said he intends to press ahead on such an initiative, despite opposition within his own party in Congress

Resisting these efforts may be Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow of MI, a leader of the so-called Gang of 10, representing the coal-dependent states in the middle of the country; the group was formed after the failure of a Senate global warming bill pushed by Ms. Boxer last June. The members’ goal is to assure that their concerns are met in any future legislation."