GOP Rep. Fred Upton (MI) won a three way battle to chair the House Energy Committee. He was considered the moderate compared to the either Joe Barton or John Shimkus his two rivals. Barton had spent much of the spring apologizing to BP for the 'harsh' treatment they were getting from the government as well as suggesting more than once that the taxpayers should foot the bill for the cleanup. Shimkus' energy policy was stolen from the Alfred E. Neuman 'What, me worry?' school of government policy.
Global warming was no threat according to Shimkus because God had promised Noah that he was done destroying the earth and 'cross my fingers' I'll never do it again.
Upton was being attacked by the Tea Party and it's allies for co-sponsoring the 'godless communist' bill to encourage Americans to switch to more energy efficient light bulbs. Key word in this horrifying attack on America's freedom was the word 'encourage' not force. Upton had already committed the heresy of suggesting climate change is a serious problem and that the world would be better off if we could reduce emissions.
Upton amazingly won possibly because the 'really crazy' vote was ssplit between Barton and Shimkus. America's carbon based future has been assured though. Upton has seen the light. All it took was $20,000 in donations from Koch Industries whose spigot supplies an endless stream of money for the Tea Party and similar patriotic organizations.
In a Wall Street Journal editorial yesterday Upton and Americans For Prosperity president Tim Phillips argued against any carbon emission restrictions. AFP is wholly funded by the Koch Brothers whose combined net worth of $42 billion has been made entirely off oil. Gotta love those benign sounding right wing propaganda machines.
Phillips has previously claimed the idea that green energy could create jobs is a myth and that a couple of dubious e-mails is conclusive proof that the reality global warming is a world wide conspiracy.
The House GOP energy policy will be a three pronged attack. Kill Cap and Trade, strip the EPA of as much power as possible and spend the rest of their time investigating climate scientists to get to their Holy Hrail where the scientist break down in hearings and admit their work is part of a world wide conspiracy and finally admit that the world is actually cooling.
The climate deniers have their proof. It snowed a lot this past week. Time to build a twenty first century ark.
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