The Stranger Election Control Board had U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee in earlier this week to pitch us on I-937 (the initiative on this November’s ballot that mandates utilities get 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.)

Inslee is a serious environmentalist. In addition to stumping for Washington State’s renewable energy initiaive, he’s also pushing his own Apollo Energy Bill in Congress. The bill, HR2828, lays out policy to lower CO2 emissions; promote renewable energy; promote energy independence from foreign oil; and promote economic development (of alternative energy production.)

Inslee says we need to reduce CO2 emissions by 70% from today’s levels. One of the ideas he’s pushing is a “cap & trade” system on CO2 emissions. Basically, Inslee says, the government should set a limit on CO2 emissions—and then divvy up and sell off the rights to companies to produce CO2 up to that limit. (Sounds like a carbon tax to me!)

The SECB took advantage of the I-937 interview, asking Inslee to stay afterward to talk about other issues: Mark Foley; the GOP charge that Democrats are weak-kneed pinkos when it comes to national security; Mayor Nickels’s tunnel plan (which will crank up Seattle’s CO2 levels thanks to its fat commitment to auto capacity); and the possibility for subpoenas in the 110th Congress.

Listen to him turn to tables on the GOP and basically say that Republicans who supported scrapping habeas corpus are in league with the terrorists!

Inslee represents the turf just North of Seattle (North King County and South Snohomish) and has a flaming liberal record on par with Rep. Jim McDermott (D-7).