Inhofe's Idiocy

Labeling global warming "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people" and comparing the Environmental Protection Agency to the Gestapo apparently wasn't enough for Senator James Inhofe. Unable to ram Bush's polluter-friendly Clear Skies Act through the Senate, the Chairman of the Environmental and Public Works Committee (EPW) ordered two national organizations opposing Bush's plan to turn over their financial and tax records.

The two groups attacked by Inhofe collectively represent 48 state and 165 local air pollution control agencies. Executive Director William Becker denounced Inhofe's order as "retaliation against some very legitimate criticism of 'Clear Skies,'" and said his groups have not accepted money from environmental activists or other private interests.

The same purity can't be applied to Inhofe, a long-time magnet for pro-polluter special interests. Since joining the Congress in 1994, Inhofe has accepted over a million dollars from the energy and natural resource sector, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. In the 2002 election, Inhofe received more money from big oil and gas companies than any other senator except Texas' John Cornyn. In return, big energy received a senator who's earned a zero rating from the League of Conservation Voters on six different occasions.

"Our door is open," Inhofe assured energy lobbyists upset over the Clean Air Act in 1998. "I'll sit down with you personally." He's kept his word. "Energy lobbyists are coming and going like a revolving door through the staff offices of EPW," Frank O'Donnell of Clean Air Watch told Grist magazine.

In spite of the feeding frenzy, the Senate committee remains divided 9-9 on Clear Skies, with moderate Republican Lincoln Chafee supporting the Democrats. In fact, some of the harshest opposition to Bush and Inhofe comes from Republican quarters. John Paul, an Ohio environmental regulator who voted for Bush twice, testified that Clear Skies "fails on every one of our associations' core principals" and is "far too lenient" on polluters. High-profile Governors George Pataki and Arnold Schwarzenegger criticize provisions reducing states' abilities to enforce existing regulations or create tougher ones. Environmental groups say the law will exempt carbon-dioxide emissions and sextuple levels of mercury pollution.

In making the case for Bush and against sensible regulation, Inhofe has relied on esteemed environmental experts like Michael Crichton, Jerry Falwell and lobbyists for ExxonMobil. Talk about a hoax!

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