By now, it seems like a week barely goes by without some idiotic or outrageous comment by James Inhofe (undisputed holder of "Dumbest Member of the Senate" since Rick Santorum left). Just last Friday we had his charming comment in response to Obama's speech in Cairo where he declared, "I just don't know whose side he's on."
Yet last week, Inhofe struck again on perhaps him favorite topic, denying climate change. Inhofe was speaking at the Third International Conference on Climate Change, sponsored by The Heartland Insitute, an outpost for climate change skeptics. Perhaps feeling loose and free to speak out in front of a friendly crowd, Inhofe bragged about his plan to obstruct climate and energy legislation in Congress this year:
"Don't be distressed when you see the House passes some kind of a cap-and-trade bill. It could be worse and [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi] could still pass it, so it'll pass there. The EPA has threatened to regulate this through the Clean Air Act. That isn't going to work in my opinion because whe can stall that until we get a new president - that shouldn't be a problem...But while the House will pass a bill...in the Senate, they're not going to be able to pass it."
Not finished, Inhofe then went on and said this charming quip:
In that comfortable environment, he let loose a little. "As I've told Barbara Boxer, 'Get over it. Get a life. You've lost. We've won," Inhofe said to laughter and applause.
Oh my, where to begin?
Leaving aside, of course, Inhofe's apparent confusion as to who "won" and "lost" (Were you asleep on Election Day in 2006 and 2008, Jim? Did you notice the GOP Senate Caucus is a lot more sparsely populated these days?), he is essentially admitting the GOP has no plan other than to stall energy and climate change legislation until there is a change in administration. Thanks for leading a lot of credence to the GOP being the "Party of No," Senator.
Oh, and Senator, weren't you one of those in favor of getting rid of the filibuster back in 2005?
"It shouldn't be a problem" to get a new president? With geniuses like Inhofe, the GOP may find it a lot harder than they think.