Gore and Gingrich

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The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has been hard at work this week, exploring global warming and ways to combat climate change in considerable detail. The efforts culminate today with committee testimony from Al Gore. House Republicans were able to invite their own witnesses to give testimony, and last night, they announced that they're calling on one of their own big guns.

Newt Gingrich has just been added to the witness list for tomorrow's House hearing on energy and global warming legislation.

Gingrich will appear before a subcommittee hearing immediately follow the testimony of Al Gore and former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), who are expected to make a bipartisan push for the comprehensive energy legislation introduced by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.). That legislation includes cap-and-trade provisions.

"Some on the majority side believed for the longest time that the former speaker knows a lot about health policy but not so much about energy or the environment," said Lisa Miller, a spokeswoman for Republicans on the committee. "When reminded that he was a former professor of environmental studies and wrote two books, 'Contract with the Earth' and 'Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less', they decided to permit him to testify before a subcommittee. It wasn't a bad outcome, even if it took awhile."

A few quick points. First, for GOP officials to keep relying on Newt Gingrich to be a party leader is a dream come true for Democrats. Second, on a related note, that Republicans can't think of anyone better than Gingrich to be a high-profile voice on energy issues points to just how serious the party's mess really is.

And third, there's the inconvenient fact that when it comes to energy and environmental policy, Newt Gingrich doesn't have the foggiest idea what he's talking about.

Should be an interesting day on the Hill.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

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Gore seems greatly to fear those who actually know something about climate--as shown by his orchestrating a bar on Chris Monckton (Maggie Thatcher's science advisor). Ergo, I think Joe Cao would have been able to have Gore cowering!

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So The House Committee on Energy and Commerce doesn't want Al Gore to face someone knowledgeable, with a different opinion. Is it because Lord Monckton is knowledgeable on the subject, whereas Al Gore is a front man for others' theories, or because of the different opinion? Either way, AL Gore would likely be made to look less than stellar in public, and that would not do for the Committee's agenda.

In which case, is it any surprise that the GOP put forward Newt Gingrich? The Committee doesn't want to hear a reasoned, scientific opposition. Their opinion is already set and hearing, then disregarding, someone with a relevant, science-based, yet divergent opinion, would simply make this obvious. So send in Newt Gingrich, whose opinion means absolutely nothing, just to have a big name for the show.

Why are they scared?

What don't they want in the public eye?

What happened to getting the facts from both sides?

Why do I get the feeling the American public are going to get screwed at the end of it?

The climate change debate needs to be inclusive, if it is to have any chance of moving on from the Global Warming versus Skeptic phase it's in now. Denying Lord Mockton the chance to counter Al Gore's evidence smacks of cowardice. Whether it is to prevent Al Gore looking foolish, or because they want to deny contradictory scientific evidence a public forum makes no difference. It's the wrong move. Let him speak. Have the reasoned debate with the facts from both sides and draw conclusions that neither side can argue are lacking substantiation.