Following the lead of fellow Virginia Democrat Creigh Deeds, Senator Jim Webb is starting to sound like a Republican on energy policy:

“In its present form I would not vote for it,” he said. “I have some real questions about the real complexities on cap and trade.”

“That piece of legislation right now is something that is going to cause a lot of people a lot of concern,” he said.

He would much rather pass a nuclear subsidy bill, apparently:

On Monday, Webb and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) proposed their own energy bill that would double the use of nuclear power through the country over the next 20 years.

The legislation would spend $20 billion over the next two decades to fund loan guarantees, worker training, research into nuclear power, advanced biofuels, electric vehicles, solar power, and nuclear fuel recycling. Both the senators’ home states – Virginia and Tennessee – have significant nuclear power plants.

Perhaps we should think more carefully about who we allow to stick that big D — and all of the $ and support that comes with it — next to their name.