Here is Senator Whitehouse’s statement on this beautiful Earth Day:

“For the first time in many years, on this Earth Day our leaders in the United States Senate understand the dangers we face from unchecked climate change. The long-term effects of global warming, including the prospect of a dramatic increase in sea levels, could be devastating to our state.

“I support legislation that would push for an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, the most aggressive measure now before the Senate, and will continue to push hard for urgent action to reverse the threat of climate change and reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil. That’s just the beginning, because our environmental problems are legion, but it is an important beginning.â€?

Also, for fellow Sheldon Whitehouse groupies (what can I say? Some people watch Survivor — I watch Sheldon Whitehouse), there is this praise from Dahlia Lithwick of Slate:

One of the finest moments comes when Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., busts out a big, big chart. Which happens after almost everyone has gone home. The chart compares the Clinton protocol for appropriate contacts between the White House and the DoJ on pending criminal cases with the Bush protocol. According to Whitehouse, the Clinton protocol authorized just four folks at the White House to chat with three folks at Justice. The chart had four boxes talking to three boxes. Out comes the Bush protocol, and now 417 different people at the White House have contacts about pending criminal cases with 30-some people at Justice. You can just see zillions of small boxes nattering back and forth. It seems that just about everyone in the White House, including the guys in the mailroom, had a vote on ongoing criminal matters.

Sen. Pat Leahy, D-Vt., calls this “the most astounding thing” he’s seen in 32 years.

At bottom, the worst ickiness is that while Gonzales thinks he should retain his position despite all he has to apologize for (after all, he has learned from his mistakes), he’s more than willing to point to the single mistake made by his subordinates that doomed their careers, one by one. (Daniel Bogden = low “energy.” Paul Charlton = “poor judgment.” Kevin Ryan = “bad manager.” John McKay = bad “information sharing.” Carol Lam = Carol Lame.) He is willing to detail everything Paul McNulty should have done differently and everything Kyle Sampson did wrong. Time and again Gonzales wants to claim the benefit of the doubt for all the “great things” he’s achieved as attorney general, but he’s the only one who gets it. Second chances only run one way at Justice. [full text]