There’s not much new info in Jim Motavalli’s review of the infamous AP article and Inhofe’s infamous response thereto. But I thought one bit was fairly remarkable. Recall that the Inhofe press release came directly from the Senate Environment and Public Works committee — your tax money at work, as they say. Witness:

Marc Morano, a spokesperson for the Senate majority on the Environment and Public Works committee … denied, however, that the press release was "an official government action," implying subpoenas or hearings. "This was not from a senator, but from the Republican majority," Morano said. "It’s up to others to decide if it was unusual or not. I’d be surprised if there was no precedent, because many congressional committees are highly partisan and political."

Your support powers solutions-focused climate reporting — keeping it free for everyone. All donations DOUBLED for a limited time. Give now in under 45 seconds.
Secure · Tax deductible · Takes 45 Seconds

Stories like this don’t tell themselves.

Make others like it possible. Your support powers solutions-focused climate reporting — keeping it free for everyone. Give now in under 45 seconds.
Secure · Tax deductible · Takes 45 Seconds

(Morano, you’ll recall, is a long-time Republican media thug.)

Notice that Morano implicitly concedes two things. The first is that he and his boss view global warming purely as a "highly partisan and political" issue. The second is that it’s now scarcely noteworthy that Senate committees are used for the personal partisan vendettas of their chairs.

To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. Here's How

The moral and political bankruptcy of the gang in charge in D.C. is now accepted fact, one they don’t even bother to deny.