Pending legislation on climate change currently being considered before the U.S. Senate, is impacting all sides of Kentucky's own Senate contest, with Senator Mitch McConnell challenging his opponent on the issue, while the incumbent faces attacks for his own efforts to quell the bill's progress - which include a required public reading of hundreds of pages of legislation.

Yesterday, the League of Conservation Voters [LCV] hit McConnell for his opposition to the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act. That legislation would create a so-called "cap-and-trade" system, wherein pollutant emissions are limited and companies can purchase or trade credits allowing them to emit certain amounts of certain pollutants up to the limit.

"McConnell voted against even debating the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, which marks an important step toward achieving necessary comprehensive global warming pollution reductions and energy independence. What is he afraid of?" read the LCV release.

"[McConnell] was one of only 14 Senators who are so far outside the mainstream that they think that no action is needed on global warming and that our current dependence on dirty fossil fuels is working for Americans," said LCV president Gene Karpinski.

500 pages of reading

Today, with Lieberman-Warner and other environmental legislation being considered, McConnell participated in some procedural maneuvering that has - at the least - significantly delayed work in the Senate.

Politico reports that McConnell moved to require the Senate clerk to read the entirety of Senate Bill 3036 - a 500 page piece of climate change legislation sponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Ca.).

McConnell says the maneuver was his protest against Democratic leaders who were slowing up on approving judges appointed by President George W. Bush.

"The Democratic majority has refused to honor its commitments," McConnell said, according to Politico. "It apparently believes that commitments do not matter in the United States Senate, and that actions do not have consequences."

Turning it around

Back home in Kentucky, McConnell's campaign has seized on climate change as the latest issue with which to target opponent Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville).

McConnell's camp has continued to fire off policy questions for Lunsford, asking where the Democratic nominee stands on a slew of issues. The posturing commenced the day after Lunsford won the Democratic nomination on May 20, when McConnell posited three policy questions to Lunsford.

Lunsford replied to two and challenged McConnell to debate.

"I'll be happy to sit down in public with Mitch McConnell in Kentucky where everyday Kentuckians live and work. In diners, hayfields, and the tobacco fields all across the state and discuss his questions while he answers the questions Kentuckians have," said Lunsford on May 21.

Lunsford's campaign has not issued any formal debate invitations at this time.

Amid McConnell's prodding yesterday on climate change and the Boxer legislation, Lunsford's camp brushed off the question from McConnell and instead accused McConnell of "doing the bidding" of oil companies.

McConnell has touted his own energy legislation, which centers on expanded domestic drilling, as a relief to high gas prices.

It was a return to the theme today for McConnell's camp, who again pushed the climate change issue on Lunsford in an afternoon release.

"Much to the consternation of out of state liberal interest groups, Senator McConnell has made his position clear," read the McConnell statement. "But where is Bruce Lunsford's answer? What are you afraid of, Mr. Lunsford? When will you take a position on an issue in this campaign?"