Mercury: Clear Lies

Impact Analysis is doing a super job of keeping on top of the Clear Lies - Mercury story, some of which we noted here. Our post was a notice that the House Resources Committee (RNC RC) had issued a Report alleging the mercury "problem" has been overstated by scientists. Impact Analysis (IA) has a good deconstruction of the attempted destruction of science by the RNC RC. Go over and read it if you have a strong stomach. The IA analysis alerts us that the likely source (.pdf!) of the "report" is the right-wing funded "don't-think" tank, Frontiers of Freedom, whose patrons include Exxon-Mobil.

Now we find that on the Senate side, notorious political hack James Inhofe (Oklahoma Republican Senator representing the oil industry) has asked to see the financial and tax records of two associations of state air pollution regulators who testified in front of his kangaroo court Committee opposing the Bush Administration Clear Skies Lies bill that would allow continued mercury emissions from power plants.

The committee's majority staff director, Andrew Wheeler, said the request for the groups' documents did not stem from their criticism of the legislation. He said the panel wanted to determine whether the groups represented only regulators' views or whether they also were subsidized by outside interests, including environmentalists or foundations.

The funding, Wheeler said, "goes to who they're speaking for."

Did I just hear someone say "hypocrite"?