They Deny Climate Science. Why Won't Reporters Call Them Science Deniers?

After the party's drubbing in the 2012 elections, many political pundits speculated that Republicans would spend 2013 trying to seem less extreme. Instead, many are spending the August Congressional recess assuring the Tea Party that they are, in fact, 2 Extreme 2 Quit.

As first reported by +The Nation's +Lee Fang, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) has a bizarre theory that neatly ties his climate science denial into his broader delusions:

“Just so you'll know, global warming is a total fraud,” the 13-term lawmaker told a Tea Party group Thursday. Rohrabacher said the fraud has its origins with liberals at the local government level who want decision-making ceded to higher levels of government.

“You’ve got liberals who get elected at the local level [that] want the state government to do the work and let them make the decisions. Then at the state level they want the federal government to do it. And at the federal government they want to create global government to control all of our lives,” he said.

Republicans want to ban oral sex, ban gay marriage, ban a woman's right to choose, deport undocumented immigrants & send their children to massive government-run orphanages, ban workers from organizing into unions, and restrict which Americans get to vote. But it's liberals who want to use government to control your lives?

The Hill's Ben Geman adds:

Rohrabacher, whose remarks Thursday on climate began by disputing links between wildfires and global warming, is a longtime climate skeptic.

The science connecting man-made carbon pollution to climate disruption is much older and just as well established as the science connecting cigarettes to lung cancer. If a politician denied the link between cigarettes and cancer, we'd call them a science-denying shill who'd say anything for his friends at Big Tobacco.

Why do reporters tiptoe around politicians who attack climate science by calling them "skeptics"? As if they might judiciously change their minds depending on what's in NOAA's next set of satellite data? Dana Rohrabacher is a science-denying shill for industrial carbon polluters. It's OK to say that!

Here's the problem: Dana Rohrbacher hates to be called a science denier. Sure, he'll deny science all day. But if you call him on it, he'll claim to be a great student of science, because that's how Dana Rohrabacher would like to think of himself! That doesn't make it so.

Calling a science-denying politician like Dana Rohrbacher a science denier is 100% fair & accurate and reporters should do it more often. Are they really more interested in staying on politicians' good sides than being fair & accurate? (Don't answer that.)

Must-Read: "Industry Ignored Its Scientists on Climate"

Andrew Revkin's jaw-dropping article in today's New York Times:

For more than a decade the Global Climate Coalition, a group representing industries with profits tied to fossil fuels, led an aggressive lobbying and public relations campaign against the idea that emissions of heat-trapping gases could lead to global warming.

“The role of greenhouse gases in climate change is not well understood,” the coalition said in a scientific “backgrounder” provided to lawmakers and journalists through the early 1990s, adding that “scientists differ” on the issue.

But a document filed in a federal lawsuit demonstrates that even as the coalition worked to sway opinion, its own scientific and technical experts were advising that the science backing the role of greenhouse gases in global warming could not be refuted.

“The scientific basis for the Greenhouse Effect and the potential impact of human emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 on climate is well established and cannot be denied,” the experts wrote in an internal report compiled for the coalition in 1995.

I always figured Big Oil and Big Tobacco shared a similar smokescreen. But this article is stunning confirmation.

Will VA House Pass Smoking Ban Compromise?

There's an old saying that when it comes to passing legislation, a good compromise is one that both sides dislike equally. That seems to be true of the smoking ban compromise unveiled by Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) yesterday. The ban would take effect this July 1st and would see Virginia would join 23 states and the District of Columbia in banning smoking in bars and restaurants.

Both the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and apparent hardcore libertarian Del. C. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) are opposing the deal. While I agree it's far from perfect deal, to use another legislative catch-phrase, the perfect shouldn't be the enemy of the good. I've been fighting for a statewide smoking ban for years now, and after talking to a range of people on this, I'm comfortable supporting this bill.

Anti-tobacco activists certainly have a point that the ban doesn't go as far as it should. All Virginia workers deserve protection from the health effects of secondhand smoke, not just ones who work in bars and restaurants. And the enforcement provisions seem weak, with just a $25 fine for each violation. Some smoke-free advocates worry businesses will allow people to continue smoking and just pay the token fine, especially in parts of Virginia that might not be eager to enforce the ban. Those legitimate concerns should be addressed in future legislation.

Here's the most interesting part of the Washington Post article to me:

Howell restarted the negotiations after he grew worried about the looming November elections, GOP delegates say. Since Howell took over as speaker in 2003, Democrats have picked up 11 House seats. If Democrats pick up six more seats in the November election, they will gain the majority.

Howell denies that politics influenced his decision. But Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax), who has tried to broker past compromises on the issue, said the speaker is trying to reverse the perception that House Republicans are inflexible.

Fighting the good fight works. It may not work the first time, or the second time, or ... well, how many years have we been at this now? But if you have the will of the people on your side, eventually even Richmond's roadblock Republicans have to step aside and let you pass.

Let's hope Republicans in the General Assembly do just that on Monday and vote to pass this reasonable compromise.

Kaine Looking to Cut a Deal on Smoking?

Over at RK, Lowell looks ahead to the 2009 General Assembly session, examining the prospects for a statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants, and doesn't like what he sees:

Now, as 2008 winds down and we move closer to the last General Assembly session of Tim Kaine's governorship, this issue is back. Unfortunately, this time around, I'm hearing that Kaine is going to push for a half-measure that's worse than doing nothing at all: no smoking in restaurants, but only before 10 pm. After that, you can light 'em up! What I'm hearing is that Health and Human Services Secretary Marilyn Tavenner is currently pushing for this utterly ridiculous approach, despite vehement opposition from public health advocates.

Why is Gov. Kaine, who's been excellent this issue, going this route? Sadly, what I'm hearing is that Kaine has decided that getting something is better than nothing on this issue. One source puts it this way: "This is as weak and mealy mouthed as you can get, but Tim Kaine wants to be able to say he accomplished something on this, because he certainly hasn't yet." The problem is that if this completely inadequate legislation goes through, it will most likely mean no REAL action on a comprehensive smoking ban in Virginia for many, many years. Essentially, the politicians will be able to pat themselves on the back and say, "hey, we accomplished something!" Except that they really won't have; I mean, what's the point if everyone can start smoking again after 10 pm? Stupid.

I'd rather put up a full ban and lose than have some half-measure like this. With even places like Clarendon Grill voluntarily going smoke-free, the pressure is on smoking ban opponents to defend their continued blind allegiance to Big Tobacco.

Lung Assoc. Urges Webb to Co-Sponsor Anti-Smoking Bill

Regular readers know I'm a big supporter of smoking bans in bars and restaurants. Or at least in Virginia, the ability of communities to make their own decisions about such things.

So tobacco issues catch my eye, and I was surprised to see our own Sen. Jim Webb featured on this request for volunteers from the American Lung Association Of Virginia Legislative Advocacy Network:

It's hard to believe, but every day 1200 people die from smoking-related causes. This summer Congress is acting to help stop this deadly toll and make sure the tobacco companies stop marketing to our kids. But we can't pass this life-saving legislation without your help!

We're launching a grassroots campaign in Virginia to support the Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act (S.625). From July 31 to August 31, we are asking Virginians to contact Senator Webb and as him to support the Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act (S.625). It's easy, and we're not asking for a lot of time.

We hope that with the encouragement of thousands his constituents, Senator Webb will sign on as a co-sponsor of S. 625. This bill would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products. This legislation would provide the FDA with the tools and resources necessary to effectively regulate the manufacturing, marketing, labeling, distribution and sale of tobacco products, and in turn help prevent our youth from making harmful and potentially fatal decisions.

This bill already has 53 sponsors in the Senate. However, we still need to convince Senator Webb to get on board. We're close but he really needs to hear from citizens who care about public health. We can't wait, each day 4,000 kids will try smoking for the first time and 1,000 will become addicted.

Will you join thousands of concerned citizens and help pass this historic bill by volunteering on August 25?

WHERE: Del Ray Farmer's Market, Oxford Avenue & Mt. Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA
WHEN: Saturday August 25, 2007, 8am – Noon
WHAT: We will be circulating petitions and gathering signatures.

Please email Carrie for more details.