Crackpot Lamar Smith Is Leading The Charge In The Republican Party's War On Science

[TexasTowelie]

It was a big ha, ha/LOL moment when the GOP House leaders decided to make crackpot Texas Christian Scientist Lamar Smith chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee. One Republican staffer told me "one of them" (presumably Boehner but he would;t confirm my suspicion) was "slightly drunk" and laughing so hard that he pissed in his pants and had to go change. Lamar Smith is a proud primitive when it come stop Science and uses his perch on the committee to chastise and attack scientists and to fundraise for himself by pushing anti-science dogma from, for example, polluting industries. Saturday morning, Sharon Lerner posted at The Intercept that Smith's problems with Science are becoming a problem for Austin and San Antonio area voters with Smith. "For most of his four years as chair of the Science Committee," she wrote, Smith "has served up more spectacle than policy. As arguably the showiest climate denier and opponent of environmental regulations in Congress, Smith has orchestrated climate change hearings that are the scientific equivalent of pro-wrestling matches."

Stacked with skeptics who mocked mainstream climate science, they offered virtually no chance for significant dialogue. Similarly, Smith’s challenge to the well-documented relationship between air pollution and lung disease was seen as little more than a craven nod to the energy companies that were responsible for that pollution. And his repeated use of his subpoena power has served mostly to attract attention and make life difficult for the scientists and government workers he has targeted.

But Smith, who has boldly argued against funding for an institute that studies the toxicity of substances such as lead and asbestos, and has rushed to the defense of Monsanto’s RoundUp, is no longer just throwing bombs from the margins. With Trump in the White House and Scott Pruitt at the helm of the EPA, Smith now has the power to turn his visions of regulatory rollback into realities.

Already this session Smith revived two bills that, before the election, had been dismissed as nuisances. The Honest Act, which grew out of a strategy developed by the tobacco industry, is designed to prohibit the EPA from using public health research; the other bill is crafted to allow industry representatives to serve on scientific boards. In March, both became law.

Read more: http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2017/05/crackpot-lamar-smith-is-leading-charge.html

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. to have such pride in wilfull ignorance is truly breathtaking.

[mbusby]

2. The next time he guffaws about science...

...see if he will dunk himself in the stuff the scientists say will kill you. You know... just for fun.

[Grins]

6. Bwahahahahahahaha!!! That actually happened!

Back in March of 2015, after the World Health Organization released a study concluding that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's "Roundup" herbicide, is “probably carcinogenic,” the Heartland Institute's paid liar, Patrick Moore, was interviewed on a French TV program. Moore's argument? That glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is perfectly safe for humans and not increasing the rate of cancer in Argentina.

How safe?

“You can drink a whole quart of it and it won’t hurt you,” said the liar paid to lie.

And that's when the fun began. The interviewer then offered the liar a glass of glyphosate to drink!!!

Of course, Moore refused, they offered again, he refused again, and then ended the interview with, “I'm not an idiot.”

No. You're just a well-paid liar and shill for whatever Reich-wing "think tank" that pays you to lie.

[cbreezen]

3. My former Texas Congress Critter

has always been this way... but, more so since he decided to go nationwide and mess with people who don't live in his state.

[LeftInTX]

4. He's gerrymandered and has been in his seat since 1983

He will be spewing his anti-science talk for a long time.

A few months ago, he was bashing immigrants for living in their own communities. What a jerk.

[longship]

5. And remarkably, they are also attempting to kill science education.

Witness, Betsy Wetsy DeVoss, a mind totally untroubled by thought, in charge of our nation's education system.