Denali
You might think that the biggest problem most Republicans have with President Obama going to Alaska to talk global warming would be the global warming part. You'd be wrong. The real problem is that this lawless, dictatorial president has decided to
rename Mt. McKinley what all Alaskans call it: Denali, the native Koyukon Athabascan word for "The Great One" or "The High One."
House Speaker John Boehner, who has represented his Cincinnati-area district for more than 25 years, decried the decision in a statement.
"McKinley served our country with distinction during the Civil War as a member of the Army. He made a difference for his constituents and his state as a member of the House of Representatives and as Governor of the great state of Ohio. And he led this nation to prosperity and victory in the Spanish-American War as the 25th President of the United States," the speaker said in a statement. "I’m deeply disappointed in this decision.”
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman unleashed a series of tweets following the announcement on Sunday evening, calling for Obama to properly honor the man whose time in the White House came to an abrupt end following his assassination in September 1901 at the hands of an anarchist in Buffalo, New York.
Then there's this guy, Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH): "President Obama has decided to ignore an act of Congress in unilaterally renaming Mt. McKinley in order to promote his job killing war on energy. This political stunt in insulting to all Ohioans, and I will be working with the House Committee on Natural Resources to determine what can be done to prevent this action." IMPEACH!!! Because maybe the energy companies have to update some of their documentation and maps.
Some other Republicans are pretty okay with the whole thing, actually. Especially those Republicans who are Alaskans. You know, where the mountain actually is. Alaska officially changed the name of the mountain way back in 1975, and since then has been trying to get the federal government to do the same. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) says: "For centuries, Alaskans have known this majestic mountain as the 'Great One.' […] Today we are honored to be able to officially recognize the mountain as Denali. I'd like to thank the president for working with us to achieve this significant change to show honor, respect and gratitude to the Athabascan people of Alaska." And the other senator, Dan Sullivan, celebrated on Twitter by saying "#Denali, the 'Great One' comes home."
So maybe Ohio should just find its own thing back home to name and get over it already.
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