As part of the omnibus spending bill, the federal government will delay enforcement of new regulations for increased energy efficiency in light bulbs. Republicans claim that this delay, achieved through blocking Energy Department funding for enforcement through Fiscal Year 2012, will “save” the incandescent light bulb, but in reality incandescent bulbs were never banned. And light bulb manufacturers put a lot of money and effort into meeting the standard, so they oppose the delay altogether.

Let’s just say that the President’s energy security speech didn’t go over so well among the communities of interest.

We’re looking at two main parts to the Senate’s energy and climate bill: a response to the BP oil spill and a renewable electricity standard. A cap on carbon emissions, even a utility-only cap, does not make an appearance.

As I’ve said repeatedly, you can envision a bill that includes a good renewable energy standard and an energy efficiency piece, along with tough standards in reaction to the BP oil tragedy, as a step forward. But the Bingaman bill which passed the Natural Resources Committee last year is not that bill. It’s a sad moment when Dick Lugar has the best option for an energy bill in the Senate.

You can read the 20-page summary of the Kerry-Lieberman climate and energy bill, known as “The American Power Act,” or you can opt for the smaller four-page summary. Either way, you’re going to find a lot to like, if you’re a dirty energy producer.

A micro-jobs bill passed into law back in March, mainly a flawed job hiring tax credit for small business. None of the other measures to boost employment have passed. The Local Jobs for America Act, which would pump $75 billion into direct hiring in local communities and is head and shoulders the best jobs program out there, hasn’t budged since it was introduced. The “Home Star” program, which would give rebates to people who do energy retrofits on their homes, just passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but it has a long way to go. Other ideas, like work-sharing or infrastructure spending, are DOA.

An energy retrofit program would be a boon to the economy, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and could reduce barriers to entry for millions of Americans who would otherwise not see upgrades in their homes or places of business. But it has to be done in concert with a process that ensures such retrofits are accessible and allowable without blockage at the local level.

President Obama’s speech on job creation today defined three key areas where the Administration wants to indirectly devote part or all of the $200 billion dollars in unexpected TARP savings – small business job creation, infrastructure investment, and “cash for caulkers” clean energy programs.

Senior Administration officials who previewed the speech said that the reduction in the TARP price tag has provided additional “breathing space” for this kind of investment in job creation, meaning that TARP authority would not be used to directly pay for the measures, but the impact on the budget would be effectively the same. While the officials would not be pinned down on a cost for these measures, one can expect that the provisions would not go above that $200 billion dollar ceiling. Administration officials characterized this as “moving away from helping banks on Wall Street and toward hiring on Main Street.”

Amid our massive challenges, we face an opportunity to get things right in ameliorating current economic crisis while helping to strengthen the economy indefinitely into the future and help solve some of our quite serious and pressing problems. We must strive to have the stimulus package not look to short-term consumption adrenaline but be based on W4 solutions. Here is an example of a win-win-win-win option for truly changing the game for the better for America and all Americans.

Barack Obama has fostered one of the most impressive political machines, if not social movements, in American history. Will this movement turn toward another form of national service? Will Obama-Biden campaign machine turn to, for example, fostering energy efficient practices throughout American society?