From this morning’s Albuquerque Journal, a look at the difficulties in Congress as greenhouse gas regulation becomes real rather than an abstract exercise:

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., was one of 26 Democrats who joined Republicans last week in voting to make it harder for the Senate to act quickly on President Barack Obama’s greenhouse gas reduction proposals.

The Democratic defections mean that it will take 60 votes in the Senate, rather than a simple majority of 51, to get climate legislation passed this year. They came during a day of wrangling that signaled concerns about the potential cost of Obama’s proposals.

The votes show a discomfort in Congress with the idea that greenhouse gas reductions could substantially raise energy prices for business and consumers.