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'We're Going to Work on Smacking the Sh-t Out of This Issue'

December 10, 2007 12:56 PM

It was September of 2005 and the Bush administration, already reeling from the fallout of its response to Hurricane Katrina, was worried about something else, environmentalists who blamed the powerful destruction of Katrina and Rita on GLOBAL WARMING.

So as popular Max Mayfield, the director of the National Hurricane Center prepared to testify before Congress, some Republican staffers on the hill and administration officials worked on a plan to soften the blame Global warming would get for the powerful storms. According to a 32 page report by Rep. Henry Waxman's committee on oversight and government reform, Tom Jones working for Republican Senator Ted Stevens' Commerce Committee sent Noel Turner in NOAA's office of legislative affairs the following E-MAIL.

"We're going to work on smacking the sh-t out of this issue. At the hearing on the 14th we're going to ask Max Mayfield about it. I'd love to have an answer from him that doesn't contain any long words or flavor of equivocation. Something like, 'MR. CHAIRMAN THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IMPLYING THAT KATRINA HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH GLOBAL WARMING ARE JUST PLAIN WRONG. They don't understand the science and they're shamelessly trying to make hay out of a national tragedy.'"

Noel Turner then e-mails John Sokich of NOAA:

"Talked to Tom Jones a bit today, and have additional insight into what he is looking for ... while I don't think the verbage is quite right, he is looking for something along the lines of 'Mr. Chairman, the individuals who are implying that katrina has something to do with global warming are just plain wrong' ... I would not say that, verbatim, would be appropriate for VADM Lautenbacher, Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere or Max, as it just doesn't sound like something they'd say, BUT if we can get them something close and quotable that would be good ... I THINK THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WITH THIS HEARING IS MAKING FEMA LOOK BAD. NUMBER TWO could be KILLING THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND HURRICANES ISSUE."

According to the WAXMAN REPORT, MAX MAYFIELD's written testimony included the statement: "The increased activity since 1995 is DUE TO NATURAL FLUCTUATIONS/CYCLES of hurricane activity driven by the Atlantic Ocean itself along with the atmosphere above it and NOT ENHANCED SUBSTANTIALLY BY GLOBAL WARMING." A few days later at a house hearing the report says Mayfield's talking points included the following: "THOSE WHO WOULD LINK HURRICANE KATRINA to GLOBAL WARMING JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE ..."

The Report, 16 months in the making, is called "POLITICAL INTERFERENCE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE UNDER THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION" and was a joint effort by the full committee. HOWEVER, REPUBLICANS, NOT HAPPY WITH THE FINAL VERSION, ARE EXPECTED TO RELEASE A MINORITY REPORT LATER IN THE DAY.

December 10, 2007 in Congress | Permalink | User Comments (26)

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Posted by: wilder5121 | Jan 10, 2008 7:59:43 AM

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