Hmm. Where have I heard this before? 

A Republican legislator from Alaska, who happens to be female, wants to restrict the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to cut greenhouse gas emissions. 

The only surprise? 

I’m not talking about Sarah Palin, who’s consistently two dogs short of a full sled. 

From somewhere within the bowels of Bizarro World, Sen. Lisa Murkowski introduced a resolution Jan. 21 to tie the EPA’s hands. 

“The Clean Air Act was written by Congress to regulate criteria pollutants, not greenhouse gases,” she said, apparently splitting hairs over the specific particles in our crappy air. 

OK, let’s see if we can connect the dots: Murkowski, ranking Republican member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, received $433,989 from the oil and gas industry between 2002 and 2010, as well as $473,563 from the electricity industry, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. 

Her five top contributors this year included: 

• Exxon Mobil (oil company)
• Constellation Energy (natural gas/electricity provider)
• Van Ness Feldman (law firm representing energy/transportation industry)  

Do I detect a pattern here? 

“You betcha,” as Palin might say.

Now, for the Good News 

Murkowski’s resolution was defeated Thursday by a vote of 53–47. 

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson estimated its passage would increase our dependence on oil by 455 million barrels. 

But some Republican lawmakers, like Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, will continue to fight “the Obama EPA’s job-killing, global warming agenda.” 

FYI: Over the last 5 years, Inhofe has received $564,700 from the oil and gas industry, as well as $398,390 from electric utilities. His top 20 contributors over the last 5 years include Koch Industries (petroleum refining), Murray Energy, Devon Energy, OGE Energy, Anadarko Petroleum—and the far-from-green list goes on.