Climate & Climate Politics
- Two degrees of Warming May be “Prescription for Disaster “-James Hansen | Use Celsias.com – reduce global °Celsius.
- The state of fear at the new year | StarTribune.com
- Rick Santorum Misrepresents Climate Science. Again.
He just won’t stop.
I just did a DeSmog piece about Santorum’s recent remarks on global warming, uttered in New Hampshire. Here’s a brief excerpt of his latest distortion:
I don’t think any scientist in the world would suggest there isn’t a variety of factors, and I think the vast majority of scientists would say there’s probably a hundred factors that cause the climate to change.
And so why have we decided that this one particular factor, carbon dioxide, is in fact that tip of the tail that wags the entire dog.
Why from a scientific point of view do we make the assertion that this is in fact what is the case when there is a whole lot of other factors out there that could be affecting it?
From this, it appears that Santorum trusts scientists to tell us that the climate system is complicated and influenced by many factors. But he does not trust them to figure out which factors are important in driving climate change. In other words, he trusts them…until he doesn’t.
Full piece here. Transcript of Santorum’s remarks here. Original tape here, go to about minute 1:13.
Politics
- The Associated Press: Unemployment rate hinges on more than job gains
- The One Sentence That Wins The Affordable Care Act Case | ThinkProgress
- Bill Press on how Obama can capitalize on signs of economic recovery in his bid for re-election – Countdown with Keith Olbermann // Current TV
Keith and Bill Press, host of “The Bill Press Show,” discuss how an encouraging jobs report and continuing positive economic news can help Obama gain momentum as he fights for a second term. Press cites the Republicans’ “public surrender” on the payroll tax cut battle as a turning point for Obama: “He’s been able to paint them into a corner, which is, he’s fighting for the middle — he’s fighting for the 99 percent. They’re fighting for the 1 percent and they can’t get out of that trap.” - Daily Kos: Medical bills cause 62 percent of bankruptcies
Politics — Mitt Romney
- McCain: Romney Won’t ‘Lead from Behind Like Ronald Reagan’ | Video Cafe
Oops, he did it again.For the second time in as many days, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has confused President Barack Obama with another person during a campaign event for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.On Thursday, the Arizona senator had declared that “President Obama will turn this country around,” and was quickly corrected by both Romney and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Less than 24 hours later, McCain was on the stump in Conway when he goofed again.
“He will rebuild the moral of American and he will restore America,” McCain said of Romney. “I guarantee you he will not lead from behind like Ronald Reagan. He will lead from in front.”
Both Romney’s wife, Ann, and Haley turned to look at the candidate, but he simply applauded this time instead of correcting the 2008 GOP nominee.
McCain most likely mangled a line that he had used several days before in New Hampshire.
“I guarantee one thing,” McCain declared. “No one will ever say that Mitt Romney will lead from behind. He will lead from the front like Ronald Reagan did.”
Republicans have long mocked President Barack Obama over the assertion that he was “leading from behind.”
World News
- U.S. Navy Rescues Iranians Held by Pirates – NYTimes.com — I don’t know,… I just thinking that Rick Santorum would of instead seen this event where the Iranian fishing boat was siezed by pirates as an opportunity to launch a preemptive bombing attack on Iran. Wouldn’t he? — JJH
Economics & the Economy
Atheism
- With No God, Where do Atheists Turn in Times of Crisis? (via Ratio Primoris (Reason Foremost): Where Do Atheist Turn During Times Of Crisis?)