Axelrod stresses the ‘energy’ side of ‘energy and climate legislation’

White House senior adviser David Axelrod spoke with The Hill after President Obama’s State of the Union speech Wednesday.

Here’s the transcript:

The Hill: There were quite a few mentions of climate change in the president’s speech.

Axelrod: I don’t know. There was a couple of paragraphs.

The Hill: I think a lot of activists were worried that there would be even less than that. To what extent is the White House prepared to put political capital behind emissions limits in 2010?

Axelrod: We are working with, as the president said, a bipartisan group on the issue and we want to get something done. We are going to be working closely with them to see to it that that happens. But obviously it is going to require support from both sides of the aisle.

The Hill: Are you confident that you can get that support?

Axelrod: I think there is a great deal of support for energy legislation, and the president laid out an aggressive agenda there that includes nuclear, that includes some additional domestic exploration, that also includes alternative energy sources. And I think there is a great deal of support for that, and this ought to be part of that.

The Hill: Do you think you can get that blended with the actual limits on greenhouse gas emissions?

Axelrod: I think that we want a comprehensive energy package, and that is what members on both sides of the aisle are working for.