[courtesy of Blog for America]

Sen. James Inhofe has a well-documented history of outrageous and offensive statements.  He claimed that Global Warming is "the second-largest hoax ever played on the American people, after the separation of church and state."  He believes the Weather Channel is behind the hoax to attract viewers.  And, he's compared environmentalists to "Nazis" and the Environmental Protection Agency to the "Gestapo."  But all that's ok because James Inhofe supports the troops, right? 

In a new video from our friends at Brave New Films, Sen. James Inhofe is exposed for what he really is: a mean, knuckle-dragger who uses our men and women in uniform as props in his political career:

Support DFA-endorsed candidate Andrew Rice.  Andrew is running for Senate in Oklahoma and working to put an end to the shameful Senate tenure of Mr. Inhofe.

Danny
Communications Director

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Robert Lieber, RN
Mayor
City of Albany

In a May 16 article on his department’s plan to eradicate the light brown apple moth (LBAM) by aerial spray and other means, California Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura accuses those who oppose the LBAM program of spreading “misinformation” and urges us all to rely on “sound science” and to “draw the line” on “exaggerated and unsubstantiated claims” that cause “unwarranted fear.”

Mr. Secretary, it is time to look in the mirror. You and your department are the primary source of misinformation and fear tactics.

You claim the pesticides you sprayed last fall and want to spray this summer over our communities are “just pheromones,” neglecting to mention that the products in question are designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as pesticides and contain not only untested, synthetic pheromones but a host of other toxic ingredients, dispersed in minute plastic capsules.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By John Knapp
President
Foodbank of Southern California

In an ideal world, no one goes to bed hungry or sleeps in the warmth provided only by cardboard. For those who do, the world the rest of us live in may seem strangely privileged.

But we, like you, share this world with the hungry. We are never far away from them, really. And it is that simple reality, I believe, that requires us to share more than just proximity.

I am talking about how food banks and non-profit organizations play a vital role in helping California families who struggle most to keep food on the table.
Helping those efforts are a variety of federal and state laws designed to support food banks and non-profit organizations. One existing California law, for example, limits liability for injuries resulting from the consumption of donated food that is fit for human consumption at the time it was donated.

Despite these successes, a December 2004 study by the California Environmental Protection Agency found that discarded food was the most prevalent single material in state landfills—accounting for a whopping 5.8 million tons in 2003.

This statistic is troubling considering several factors.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

All of this over whether Jesus Christ is messiah? Capitol Ministries head Ralph Drollinger has blasted a bipartisan groupof legislators' bible study, a group that includes Republicans likeRick Keene (left), for not conforming to his strict interpretations,according to the Sacramento Bee. Get over it. Most sincere Christianswould acknowledge that reasonable people can come to God in a number ofways.

A memo released by Senator Barbara Boxer reveals the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is in shambles, with a top official calling for Stephen Johnson's resignation if herejected California's greenhouse gas law, the San Francisco Chroniclereports. That's the kind of reputation you get when you overallnear-unanimous scientific and technical opinion.

Quetions abound about whether Arnold appointee and former legislator Ross Johnson is being light on the fines as head of the California Fair Political Practices Commission.According to the LA Times, Johnson says his "philosophy" involvesdifferent priorities, and to be fair, a Common Cause spokespersonsomewhat backs him up.

There's more...

Photo courtesy of Redding.com

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

We'll have to hold the EPA to their word:

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday signaled it is prepared to comply with a congressional request for all documents - including communications with the White House - concerning its decision to block California from imposing limits on greenhouse gases.

The EPA's general counsel directed agency employees in a memo to preserve and produce all documents related to the decision including any opposing views and communications between senior EPA officials and the White House, including Vice President Dick Cheney's office.

The documents should include "any records presenting options, recommendations, pros and cons, legal issues or risks, (or) political implications," said the all-hands memo from EPA General Counsel Roger Martella Jr.

They're saying that now, of course, but David Addington hasn't gotten his hands on the memo to use his red pen.

The presiding committee in the Congress on this one is Henry Waxman's House Oversight Committee.

Happy New Year, Fourthbranch.  We got you Henry Waxman.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Well, we knew it was going to happen, but it doesn’t make it any less ridiculous: the EPA has denied California and 16 other states the right to limit tailpipe emissions from vehiclesas part of the state’s plan to combat global warming, reports the SFChron. California and the other states, representing nearly half of theUS population, have long been planning to sue the EPA in anticipationof this outcome. Let’s hope they win.

Frank Russo at the California Progress Report points out that the US Supreme Court came to the opposite of the EPA’s conclusionabout the applicability of the Clean Air Act to limiting carbonemissions, in Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency. He alsonotes that the EPA’s refusal to grant California a waiver jeopardizeslegislation which the state has already passed, including AB 32.

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Working Californians blogs]

The EPA dragged its feet for years and when they finally ruled it was not surprising to see them turn down our waiver request to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. It is another in a long line of anti-environmental rulings from the Bush Administration. They are using the passage of the energy bill as an excuse to deny the waiver. AP:

The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday slapped down California's bid for first-in-the-nation greenhouse gas limits on cars, trucks and SUVs, denying a request for a waiver that would have allowed those restrictions to take effect.

"The Bush administration is moving forward with a clear national solution _ not a confusing patchwork of state rules," EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson told reporters on a conference call. "I believe this is a better approach than if individual states were to act alone."

I will wait for the laughter to stop about the Bush Administration moving forward with a solution on greenhouse gas emissions before bringing you another excerpt.

The long-awaited decision amounted to a serious setback for California and 16 other states seeking the new car regulations to achieve their anti-global warming goals.