Opinion:

Senate energy-committee spokesman Robert Dillon, who’s an aide to ranking member Sen. Lisa Murkowski, tells me:

Moderates who have supported climate legislation in the past have not supported the climate bills this year because they are deeply flawed. The Democratic leadership and the environmental community have refused to compromise and so there's been no opportunity for bipartisanship. I'm not saying Republicans don't share in the blame, but no one seems willing to consider the possibility that the Dems overreached with legislation that went far beyond capping carbon and would have restructured the entire economy. Other ideas have been simply ignored.