Report: Climate bill could open new battlefront in Nevada race

An upcoming decision by Sen. Harry Reid on how the Senate should move forward on major climate change legislation could open a new battlefront in his bid for re-election, the New York Times reports this morning.

Reid is a major proponent of clean energy but the paper reported it is uncertain how hard he will push a controversial bill whose benefits might be hard to see in the short term, and at a time when he is in a tough race.

His decision "could provide a new angle of attack for Republican opponents," the Times said. In particular Republican "tea party" candidate Sharron Angle "believes Senate attempts to price carbon emissions would embolden her conservative supporters.

"Even though they've changed the name of this bill, it still looks like cap and trade; it still looks like taxing people for their energy use," Angle told the paper.

Reid's decision might be made for him if no Republicans sign on to the bill. In that case the Senate might be wasting its time on a bill that does not have enough support to pass.

"Any legislation would require the support of both Republicans and Democrats alike," the paper quotes Reid spokesman Jon Summers. "Senator Reid will continue his work to reduce our reliance on oil, create jobs and make our country energy-independent by working with senators on both sides of the aisle on legislation that achieves those goals."

The campaign of Republican challenger Sue Lowden said she was unavailable for an interview and provided the paper with a statement.

"Radical changes in how we find, produce and use energy can add a further burden to our economy -- and our ability to compete in the global economy," it said.