This is not completely unexpected, but it is very much new. The AFL-CIO has sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to vote ‘yes’ on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill. Labor has been involved in the process for a while, and fairness to workers was a key consideration for the lawmakers who wrote the bill. But this is also the first time the group has supported energy legislation like this, and the move gives cover to moderates and representatives from blue collar districts to support the bill and avoid inevitable jobs attacks.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=141326