Obama postpones energy meeting with senators

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration said on Tuesday it postponed a meeting with senators set for Wednesday to discuss the process for passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation this year.

No date was given for the rescheduled meeting but the administration said more details will be released in the coming days.

Obama, whose administration is battling a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that has huge environmental implications, has another important meeting on Wednesday -- with the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan over a magazine article in which General Stanley McChrystal and aides mocked Obama's advisers.

Obama had been scheduled to meet leading Republicans and Democrats on Wednesday to discuss a way forward for the energy legislation, which has stalled in the Senate.

It would take 60 of the Senate's 100 votes to pass controversial legislation that creates a higher price on carbon emissions.

With congressional elections coming in November, some Republicans and moderate Democrats are hesitant to vote for a bill that would raise the cost of burning oil and coal in the hope of making cleaner alternative fuels more competitive.

If support falls short for placing a price on carbon, Senate leaders might opt for a narrower energy and environment bill this year.

The meeting was to include Senator John Kerry, a Democrat and top sponsor of the bill; Senator Joe Lieberman, an independent and co-sponsor of the bill; and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the legislation's original authors who later dropped support for it.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by John O'Callaghan)