We don't know what's gotten into Michael Hiltzik in the past few months, but boy are we loving it! The Pulitzer-winning journalist has recently been writing semi-regularly on the GOP's shameful climate stance and the press's duty to fact check the unscientific assertions of deniers who are "usually Republican." Hiltzik leads by example, recently highlighting "the GOP attack on climate change science." This time, Republicans have attempted to gut NASA's funding for Earth Sciences in the NASA authorization bill for fiscal year 2016 and 2017. Lamar Smith's (R-TX) announcement of the proposed bill was was described by Hiltzik as, "a model of misdirection and deceit," because Smith failed to mention the climate cuts and misrepresented the Planetary Society's opposition as support.
Unsurprisingly, Hiltzik's (apt) description wasn't well received by Smith, whose communications director contacted Hiltzilk requesting an explanation. He, of course, obliged and wrote what may be one of the most awesome congressional burns since, well, since Senator Whitehouse's epic "Senator Snowball" takedown.
The title of Hiltzik's response makes it clear he's not playing around: "A congressional climate change denier's disingenuous defense." The whole piece is a joy to read, but it's not until the conclusion that Hiltzik lets loose with the heat:
"We'll give Smith's staff the benefit of the doubt on this, and assume they're being disingenuous at worst when they profess not to know his press release was nothing like the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But who do they think they're fooling?"
We don't know who they think they're fooling either, but it's certainly not Hiltzik. If he keeps it up, Congress is going to need its very own burn ward!
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