A member of the Senate Republican leadership believes a major expansion of electric cars is one way to address climate change, illustrating the party's fractured views on climate science. As some lawmakers search for a bipartisan agreement on clean energy, others see no reason for it. Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, expressed confidence yesterday that the promise of increasing America's energy independence at a time of high gas prices could drive the bickering Congress to cooperate on an electric car bill he introduced with Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat.