By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

Now that's more like it. Hanging together, Democrats on Thursday steamrolled GOP opposition to a climate change bill in a U.S. Senate committee.

For all the talk about dithering Democrats in Washington, at least they were able to pass a key measure despite a Republican boycott.

The bill approved 11-1 in the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee would establish mandatory limits on heat-trapping gases. None of the seven GOP senators attended the meeting.

So much for representing their constituents -- or even coming forward with decent reasons to oppose the bill.

The one Democrat who voted against the bill, Max Baucus of Montana, supports attacking global warming. He just wants to go a little slower in trying to control harmful emissions.

Baucus will get his chance to amend the bill in the full Senate.

We'll see if the Republicans have the courage to show up and oppose the bill at that time.