Posted on 02/12/2014 9:45:30 AM PST by Hojczyk
These are all reasons that the lawsuit should have been summarily thrown out. It goes beyond the legitimate scope of libel and defamation laws and constitutes an attempt to suppress opinions that are considered politically correct.
But it gets worse. Consider the specific argument Mann is making, as summed up in the report I linked to above.
"In the articles, Mann says in his lawsuit, the think tank and the publication ignored more than half a dozen investigations that found no scientific wrongdoing, focusing almost exclusively on the Penn State inquiry in order to call him a fraud. CEI also mentioned the National Academy of Science's investigation, but dismissed those findings by saying the body had obtained information from Penn State, meaning the inquiry was 'not truly independent.' The basis mentioned by CEI to call the Penn State investigation a whitewash was stating it had only interviewed Mann, and 'seemingly ignored the content of the emails.'"
Even more ominous, the DC Superior Court, which let the suit proceed, embraced this reasoning in its ruling.
"The CEI Defendants' persistence despite the EPA and other investigative bodies' conclusion that Plaintiff's work is accurate (or that there is no evidence of data manipulation) is equal to a blatant disregard for the falsity of their statements."
In other words, Steyn's evaluation of Mann's scientific claims can be legally suppressed because Steyn dares to question the conclusions of established scientific institutions connected to the government. On this basis, the DC Superior Court arrives at the preposterous conclusion that it is a violation of Mann's rights to "question his intellect and reasoning." That's an awfully nice prerogative to be granted by government: an exemption against any challenge to your reasoning.
If he wins this suit, then we're all targets.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
More judicial tyranny. The whole apparatus of government, academia, the media, and corporate America, are thoroughly infested with leftists.
We need a re-set. Badly.
Steyn ping.
When I read of Mann’s complicity in faked AGW ‘research’ along with Hansen and Jones and their protracted email collusions in perpetrating it, I emailed the Penn State University Public Affairs Officer and demanded they investigate him (Mann) and his obviously fraudulent research.
I got back an email addressed to “Dear Citizen of the Globe:”
You can guess how it went from there. That was the day I knew exactly what I was going to do thereafter whenever a Penn State University resume landed on my desk.
My guess is that his ‘evidence’ and actions in proving his research all have some ideological AGW connection, if not outright PSU collusion, alumni or otherwise.
If MS has a good lawyer and investigation team and the means to make the right connections in front of a jury that has had PSU connections excluded, he would win this.
We ARE all targets!
There is a war on and NO one is safe.
“Dear Citizen of the Globe:”
That seems to me something akin to a rhetorical reach around.
Simply brilliant.
Donate here to help keep the “free” in Freeper:
http://www.steynonline.com/6048/give-the-gift-of-steyn
You won’t find a more [deleted on advice of counsel] than Michael Mann, nor a bigger proponent of free speech than Mark Steyn.
Frankly, I'm not sure how I escaped this lawsuit myself. I shall have to review what I have written and see if my language was not sufficiently inflammatory. Perhaps I don't have pockets deep enough to be worth looting. Or perhaps I'm not a big enough target to be worth intimidating and bankrupting. Note the glee with which the left slavers at the prospect of taking out a prominent voice on the right, with one leftist gloating that "it's doubtful that National Review could survive" losing the case.
LOL!!
HOORAY Mark Steyn, NR & CEI. Thanks to Robert Tracinski. OUTSTANDING article. Thanks very much for posting, Hojczyk.
“...given the evidence that climate scientists were pocketing large sums of government money…”
Socialism Is Legal Plunder
Socialists, like all other monopolists, desire to make the law their own weapon. And when once the law is on the side of socialism, how can it be used against socialism? For when plunder is abetted by the law, it does not fear your courts, your gendarmes, and your prisons. Rather, it may call upon them for help.
/Bastiat
Weather
In other words we are going to officially/legally/subliminally impose greater regulations and more taxes on you, whether you like it or not.
Weather
Very important trial BUMP! (Sheesh, I had no idea)
It's what liars, criminals, con-men, socialists, psychopaths, totalitarians do. Violate rules and lives.
Witness history.
OUTRAGEOUS............
This is a great piece! I sure appreciate Mark Steyn for speaking the truth, sticking to his guns, and refusing to back down!
Added some climate/global warming keywords and BTTT!
Mark Steyn ping. This time an article about him, not an article by him.
Freepmail me, if you want on or off the Mark Steyn ping list.
Thanks for the ping Slings and Arrows.
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