Congressional hearing heats up over changes to climate reports

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON — Government scientists, armed with copies of heavily edited reports, charged Monday that the Bush administration and its political appointees had soft-pedaled their findings on climate change.

The accusations led Democrats and Republicans at the congressional hearing to accuse each other of censorship, smear tactics and McCarthyism.

To underscore their charges of the administration's oil-friendly stance, Democrats grilled an oil lobbyist who was hired by the White House to review government climate change documents and who made hundreds of edits that the lawmakers said minimized the impact of global warming.

"You were a spin doctor," Rep. John A. Yarmuth (D-Ky) told the lobbyist....

***

To support their charges Monday, the Democrats produced hundreds of pages of legal depositions, exhibits and e-mail exchanges between administration officials. The paper trail illustrated how officials with no scientific training shaped the administration's climate change message and edited global warming reports, inserting doubt in the place of definitive statements and diminishing the role people play in the planet's rising temperatures....

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-climate20mar20,0,3277087.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[kiwilover]

1. Issa

What a total ass an shill of the right wing.

[tsuki]

2. In every way. When he goes on Bill Maher, he acts like a moderate

to play to Maher's audience, but the committee hearings show different. He was the same nasty conservative Bushbot during the Iraqi contractors' hearings.

[izzie]

3. This whole thing has me in a fog. I have seen as much as c-span

did have on then it went to House. I can see that the WH has done this and so have the GOP since Bush got in but can some one tell me why? This just can not be for the oil business. It is just to nutty. I sort of put it in the nutty stuff that went on with Terry or the Cuban boy. My thinking just does not let me get around this stuff for some reason. :dilemma:

[LynnTheDem]

4. Yes the oil industry. As always.

Can't have the oil industry paying out billions to upgrade their equipment & manufacturing processes just to clean our air out!

Why, that would be money taken away from the rich owners! Can't have that, it would hurt the "trickle-down". Not to mention the rich owners.

Ya know the little turd that was busy with his black felt pen, changing all that scientific info? Guess what he was?

Uh huh...Imperial Oil.

Guess where he works now?

Exxon Mobil.

Color me shocked not.

[izzie]

5. It seems to be about oil but so much trouble for that.

I kept thinking I just could not be right to think that way. Course I had a husband that worked for them for 10 years and they can be very good IF they are getting their own way but they did take over that state we lived in and right behind them were the church nuts. Odd bed partners but they hung together.At first the corp. were very good to the earth but when I left the state money was over riding every thing they did. I should say profits, that was the power house in their agenda.

[MasonJar]

6. Way to go, John, my brand new and very brilliant congressman from

Louisville, who ousted the Bushista, Anne "never think for Kentucky" Northrup...a 97% Bush supporter. I only wish I could quote for you John's editorial in his weekly magazine LEO which said that he thanked God that he had not been born with W's thinking, writing and speaking abilities. It was so dead-on hilarious! Both are Yale grads, but John is a real grad.

[Heidi]

7. Kick.

:kick:

[Purveyor]

8. GOP lawmakers rip 'biased' NASA scientist on warming; 'Free speech is subject to policy'

Source: RawStory

"Government scientists, armed with copies of heavily edited reports, charged Monday that the Bush administration and its political appointees had soft-pedaled their findings on climate change," writes Nicole Gaouette for the Times. "The accusations led Democrats and Republicans at the congressional hearing to accuse each other of censorship, smear tactics and McCarthyism."

Democrats probed a lobbyist for the oil industry who was hired by the Bush administration to review climate documents and who, Gauoette says, "made hundreds of edits that the lawmakers said minimized the impact of global warming." Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) called the lobbyist a "spin doctor."

---
Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) issued a startling rebuke to the NASA official, disputing his assertion that taxpayer-funded scientists are entitled to speak freely.

"Free speech is not a simple thing and is subject to and directed by policy," Cannon said, according to the Times.

---END OF EXCERPT---

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/GOP_lawmakers_rip_biased_NASA_director_0320.html



Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/GOP_lawmakers_rip_biased_NASA_director_0320.html

[FiveGoodMen]

9. Can't put their position much clearer than that!

[papau]

10. so free speech is only free for those with money and the "right" policy? n/t

n/t

[niyad]

11. nice of them to state it so bluntly--free speech that WE allow.

[heatstreak]

12. Our president.......dreaming of a dictatorship

[truthisfreedom]

13. Free speech is not a simple thing. translated: WE CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

SO SHUT UP!

[niyad]

14. member of the powerful cannon political family-- pity he didn't take after one of his relations,

howard cannon of nevada, a fairly decent democrat.

[liberalnurse]

15. I watched the batter on C-Span in re-run

this AM....before I got the kids up...It was great! I really like this Government/Overseeing Committee of Democrats. The NASA Scientist, Hanson, he remain cool, calm and collected while Darryl Issac went off the cliff and over the edge in rage at this brilliant scientist...I think he had spittle on his chin too..

[frogcycle]

16. "Free speech is not a simple thing"

oh yes it is
Fuuuuuuuck yooooooou!

[wtmusic]

17. Though opinions may be subject to policy, facts are not

Another obfuscation tactic which must be called out

[Ilsa]

18. These news stories make me crazy. Makes me just hate

those people, trying to spin facts to adjust to their policy. Screw them all to hell and global warming.

[HuffleClaw]

19. i'm sure that comment will be 'clarified' soon n/t