Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Republi-CON 'Climategate' Myth

"The National Science Foundation has found no evidence of research misconduct by Michael Mann, the Pennsylvania State University climatologist who has faced waves of attacks from foes of action to curb greenhouse gases." Read The New York Times, Federal Inquiry Is Latest to Clear Assailed Climate Scientist.

You may recall "that last year Fox News ran a breathless 'exclusive' about the National Science Foundation unleashing its Inspector General to investigate potential impropriety by Michael Mann, the Pennsylvania State University climatologist who for years has been a target of foes of restricting greenhouse gases.

According to the Fox reporter, Ed Barnes, such an investigation 'will be the first time that climate studies here will be scrutinized by an independent government organization with the skill and tools to investigate effectively.'

Now that the results of this landmark investigation are out, one would think that a 'fair and balanced' news outlet would be obliged to cover the outcome? Or not…
"

Maybe after Hedgehog News issues a correction, they can tell us what happens to 35 gigatons of CO2 each year.

I wouldn't hold my breath though.

God and Local Government

"The American Civil Liberites Union last week called into question the City of Milton’s sponsorship of the Santa Rosa County God and Country Rally." Read the Santa Rosa Press Gazette, ACLU challenges Milton's sponsorship of God and Country Rally. [Spelling incorrect in original.]

The rally is meant to distract the locals from an ongoing federal investigation of the Santa Rosa County good ol' boy network.

Still Searching for the Ideal Republican Candidate: Conservative, Interested, Electable

UPDATE IV: "If the Republican presidential candidates fail to offer substance, it's because they're giving the public what it wants -- empty calories." Read The Atlantic, Gluttons for Punishment: Blame Voters for the Dismal GOP Field, which notes:

"So if those GOP debates have reeked of rhetorical homogeneity, he suggests, maybe it's because the campaigns have been hearing the same things in their focus groups and polling of, yes, real people.

As with all-you-can-eat buffets, the political system has long ago seen the utility of producing and consuming empty political calories."


UPDATE III: With campaign promises like $2 a gallon gas, even one of the the Republican presidential candidates knows that "two of his major rivals were 'extreme' and 'unrealistic.'" Read The New York Times, Huntsman Calls His Rivals `Unelectable'.


UPDATE II: "You call tell how unhappy Republicans are by reading the Wall Street Journal editorial page, the one-stop shop for conservative orthodoxy. It fretted on Monday that Republicans and independents are 'desperate' for a unifying candidate, and that if 'the current field isn’t up to that, perhaps someone still off the field will step in and run.'" Read the Washington Post, The GOP’s summer of discontent.


UPDATE: Is he the one?:



"The entire campaign has been about the Republican Party searching for a candidate who is (a) capable of running a strong race against Barack Obama, (b) reliably conservative, and (c) actually interested in running." Read The New York Times, Pondering Perry’s Electability, which sums it up with this graph: