James Inhofe, the Republican senator from Oklahoma who adamantly refuses to recognize the reality of global warming, yesterday with a hissy fit shut down the possibility of an Al Gore-affiliated rock concert on the Washington Mall in July. The idea was to raise awareness and funds to deal with the problem. Numerous such occasions have been staged there before, including Earth Day, but that means nothing to Inhofe. As Kevin Drum puts it, in a polite moment: "Apparently he thinks the answer to global warming is more temper tantrums."
Also apt is the reaction, quoted in the LATimes, from Edward Markey (D.- Mass).
"Not since former Interior Secretary James Watt tried to ban the Beach Boys from appearing on the National Mall has such a misguided effort at political censorship been undertaken by a Republican official," Markey said. "It’s dangerous enough to deny science; it’s sheer lunacy to deny song."
Kit Stolz 