The bitter battle over health care legislation, fears that global warming legislation could harm the weak U.S. economy, and the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit to set binding CO2 emissions reductions targets will make U.S. Senate passage of a carbon cap-and-trade bill difficult in 2010, according to senators from both parties.

Politico reports that the partisan struggle over health care reform — in which 60 Democratic senators are poised to pass a bill with no Republican support — has alienated moderate Republicans whose votes are crucial to passage of climate legislation.

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A few days ago, David Roberts – on his consistently good blog at Grist – asked if health care was going to “eclipse” energy and stall passage of comprehensive climate legislation.

The answer seems to be yes, in spite of the Obama administration’s seeming desire to have their cake and eat it too. Today, the administration touted the release of a climate change report, and the UK Guardian notes that the report and its roll out are very much a part of the strategy to “build public support” for the Waxman-Markey bill.

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