Obama: 'Disturbing' That Climate Denier Chairs Environmental Committee

TalkingPointsMemo.com ^ | March 18, 2015 | Caitlin MacNeal

[E. Pluribus Unum]

President Obama said in an interview with Vice News published Monday that it's "disturbing" that Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), the chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, does not believe that climate change is real.

Inhofe recently threw a snowball on the Senate floor in an attempt to disprove the existence of climate change.

Vice founder Shane Smith mentioned the incident to President Obama while discussing global warming.

"That's disturbing," Obama told Vice News.

Obama added that Sasha and Malia have a better understanding of climate change than his generation does, and that he thinks that will eventually change politicians' beliefs on climate change.

"I guarantee you that the Republican party will have to change its approach to climate change because voters will insist upon it," he said.

He added that he "can't fault somebody" who is more concerned about gas prices than global warming.

"In some cases, though, you have elected officials who are shills for the oil companies or the fossil fuel industry, and there's a lot of money involved. Typically in Congress, the committees of jurisdiction, like the energy committees, are populated by folks from places that pump a lot of oil and pump a lot of gas," Obama said.

Smith also told the President that the top question Vice News received from readers was about the legalization of marijuana.

"First of all it shouldn't be young people's biggest priority," Obama said in response. "Let's put it in perspective. Young people, I understand this is important to you. But you should be thinking about climate change, the economy, jobs, war and peace. Maybe way at the bottom you should be thinking about marijuana."

[kidd]

kidd: ‘Disturbing’ that communist heads largest capitalistic country

[bigbob]

I’ll bet Inhofe doesn’t deny that climate changes, just that man has anything to do with it.

[CMB_polarization]

What would Stalin do?

[WayneS]

Tolerance for me but not for thee.

[stephenjohnbanker]

All serious scientists all over the world know this is a leftist scam. If we had a free press, almost every American would know it too.

[rktman]

LOL! Settled science. The climate is constantly changing and will continue to do so with or without humans. There. Easy peasy.

[GilesB]

...and as president, I will think about marijuana for you,

[kosciusko51]

‘Disturbing’ is mild way of putting it.

[fatnotlazy]

No Obama — it's disturbing that you still occupy the White House instead of a prison cell.

[norwaypinesavage]

What’s even worse is a science denier in the White House.

[Darksheare]

Sure Obama, just do to them what was done to Galileo.
I dare you.

[demshateGod]

Saying ‘Climate Denier’ just sounds so dogmatic and strident that I’m surprised it’s so widely used. Usually the left is more nuanced than that. You can easily substitute the words infidel, heretic, blasphemer, or apostate.

Now that I think of it, they like to give their enemies with worst possible motives.

It’s different with this though. When they calls someone a racist, they’re saying something about the racist that has nothing to do with themselves. When they call someone a ‘denier’ they’re saying, “you don’t beleive what we beleive.” Thus putting their beliefs ahead of others’. Can you see the difference? It just doesn’t work the same way all their other demagogueries work.

[demshateGod]

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/16/the-myth-of-settled-science/

[Zuben Elgenubi]

He doesn't deny climate change, Mr President. He's just against the enivitable carbon tax that will come with government intervention, funding the U.N.

That's the truth and the Republicans should have an easier time speaking about this when they find the Iranian deal is being put together with the Permanent members of the U.N. without Congressional approval.

Then U.N. sanctions against weapons follows that.

[Vendome]

Dumber than a door stop and intellectually as deep as a grave diggers boots...

[duckworth]

FUBO!

[txrefugee]

Far more disturbing is the fact that we have an anti-American president who is a Muslim Brotherhood supporter.

[tumblindice]

It’s `disturbing’ in that there are so many Mother Gaia scams requiring borrowed Chinese cash that he could be running.

[Amagi]

Even more disturbing:
a lying, cheating, commie, muzzie, certified-57-states-stupid, Constitution illiterate fraud sits in the Oval Office.