Tim Kaine Disavows Climate Change Denier

By: Kindler
Published On: 8/19/2006 3:03:04 PM

You asked for it, you got it -- this is what Democratic government is all about!

According to today's Daily Progress, Governor Kaine has now officially confirmed that Professor Patrick J. Michaels of UVA is NOT the Virginia state climatologist, as he likes to call himself. 

Michaels is an infamous advocate for the fossil fuel industry's line that climate change ain't happening -- who (by coincidence?) has received over $100k from coal-burning utilities to, uh, support his work. (See Aug. 11 Raising Kaine diary on the subject: http://www.raisingka...)

The letter from Secretary of the Commonwealth Kate Hanley to the University said: +óGéĽ+ôThe Code of Virginia does not provide for the governor to appoint a state climatologist. My office has been unable to find evidence that any governor since 1980 has made such an appointment.+óGéĽ-Ą

Great job, Governor!  We don't need the good name of our state sullied by for-rent academics like Prof. Michaels.

Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign.  The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.

Comments



Self-Appointed (Teddy - 8/19/2006 3:46:02 PM)
Another case of bloated ego by the sycophants of coporate  globalism. Is there any way the coal and oil companies can be forced to make public retractions of statements or advertising where they have highlighted Michaels' nonsense statements? I can see where the Fox News and other echo chambers have no doubt paraded his statements complete with attribution to Virginia's State Climatologist. It goes along with some of the phony science statements out of other Bush Administration offices (on AIDS, on abstinence education, on abortion, etc etc). When, oh Lord will we finally be free of this politicization of every little thing by neocons?


I don't think so... (Bubby - 8/19/2006 4:32:41 PM)
UVA Spokeswoman Carol Wood said the university would take steps to clarify the way Michaels’ position is described.

“In the past, I think we all believed it was a governor’s appointment,” Wood said. “But now that we have this letter, we thank the governor for helping clarify the situation.”

“It will still be a state climatologist office under AASC [certification], it just won’t be under the auspices of the governor anymore,” Wood said. “Perhaps we might consider calling it the ‘state climatologist at the University of Virginia’ or something along those lines.”

Carol: Are you deaf?
Take the word "State" from infront of Pat Michael's name and we can move on.  Call him the Cavalier Weatherman if you like, just don't mention Virginia.