We all know the feeling when a politician says something and you’re left wondering if you could have possibly heard them correctly. It’s been a week of whoppers on a host of topics, from climate change to repealing a ban on gay sex in Montana, to polling on background checks for gun purchases.
First, on the subject of climate change. At a congressional hearing on Wednesday, Texas Congressman Joe Barton brushed aside concerns that the Keystone Pipeline XL would exacerbate or contribute to climate change. Like several of his Republican colleagues, Barton remains skeptical on whether mankind is to blame for climate change. As for an example of a natural disaster not caused by human activity, Barton cited…Noah’s Ark.
“I would point out that if you’re a believer in the Bible, one would have to say the Great Flood is an example of climate change, and that certainly wasn’t because mankind had overdeveloped hydrocarbon energy,” Barton explained.
This is not entirely unexpected coming from Congressman Barton. On the issue of CO2 emissions, Barton once suggested that we need not get overly concerned. After all, he said, Coca Cola and Dr. Pepper contain CO2.
Second in the lineup is Montana State Rep. Dave Hagstrom. Lawmakers in Montana are moving closer to repealing a bill that bans gay sex in their state, but at a debate on Tuesday, Hagstrom spoke out in opposition to repeal. Hagstrom began with a disclaimer: he may be against gay sex, but it’s got nothing to do with homophobia, as he’s got “a number of homosexual friends.”
Third: on April 4th, Executive Director of Gun Owners of America, Larry Pratt, was on Hardball to discuss gun law reforms. When asked how his position squared with the 90% of Americans who support background checks, Pratt expressed skepticism about the accuracy of all the polls showing that same result, calling one of the polls “as good as a three dollar bill.” Pratt is planning to scope out a primary challenger for Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey, given Toomey’s participation in a bill on background checks for gun purchases. When asked if his effort would pay off, given such widespread support for background checks, Pratt said he’s not convinced that pollsters know how to “ask the right questions.” Take a look at the Hardball Sideshow from the full roundup of the week in whoppers…so far anyway.
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