Pat Michaels in the news

Notorious fraud Pat Michaels is in the news some more.

First, Coby Beck reports that California as part of discovery in lawsuit involving automobile companies and global warming wants:

All DOCUMENTS relating to both GLOBAL WARMING and to any of the following individuals: S. Fred Singer, James Glassman, David Legates, Richard Lindzen, Patrick J. Michaels, Thomas Gale Moore, Robert C. Balling, Jr., Sherwood B. Idso, Craig D. Idso, Keith E. Idso, Sallie Baliunas, Paul Reiter, Chris Homer [sic], Ross McKitrick, Julian Morris, Frederick Seitz, Willie Soon, and Steven Milloy, including but not limited to:

  1. All DOCUMENTS relating to any communications between YOU and these individuals, and

  2. All DOCUMENTS relating to YOUR relationship (or the relationship of any automobile manufacturer or association of automobile manufacturers) with any of them, including but not limited to payments directly or indirectly from YOU or any other automobile manufacturer or association of automobile manufacturer to any of them.

As Beck puts it:

I can't wait to see if those voices claiming Michael Mann should have been happy for the chance to defend himself from a witch-hunting congress will present the same view in this case.

Second, Eli Rabett asks about the ethics of Michaels taking $100,000 to promote global warming skepticism:

There have been a number of comments about the ethics of the thing, but all appear to miss a very important point. Michaels is the Virginia State Climatologist. If he is accepting money to advocate on issues which are intimately related to his state/university position he is without question in the deep state employee ethics doo doo. This certainly should be looked at by the appropriate office at UVa

You might also ask Tim Kane why he continues to employ Michaels as State Climatologist.

Third Robert McClure tells us

It seems that Michaels called [CNN Friday's Peter] Dykstra to complain that the network doesn't do enough to bring out the side of those who question the thesis that human industrial and transportation activity is warming the globe. Dykstra politely disagreed, but he was curious. So he took the time to look up all of the network's pieces on the topic.

The expert CNN quoted most? Dr. Patrick Michaels. By a factor of two. He fills the false journalistic need for balance on the topic, Dykstra contends. And it doesn't hurt that when a network reporter in D.C. is looking to "balance" a story, Michaels is right there in town at the Cato Institute

(Last one via David Roberts.)

I've had to create a category for posts about Pat Michaels.

More like this

The Hook reports: In papers sent to UVA April 23, [Virginia Attorney General] Cuccinelli's office commands the university to produce a sweeping swath of documents relating to Mann's receipt of nearly half a million dollars in state grant-funded climate research conducted while Mann-- now director…
Impeach Cuccinelli. Impeach him now (to steal Brad DeLong's phrase). Earlier this week, I discussed Virginia Attorney General Cucinelli's subpoena envy harassment of climatologist Michael Mann. ScienceBlogling Tim Lambert describes what this fishing expedition entails: Cuccinelli isn't just…
Who are the global Warming Denialists? A tougher question is, in a discipline as complex as climate science, how do you tell who the legitimate skeptics (those that ignore the reporting at the Independent for instance) are versus who are the denialists? Again, it's simple, because denialism is…
Robert McClure reports: Now the Society of Environmental Journalists' Watchdog Tipsheet has just revealed that Michaels withdrew as an expert witness in a recently decided landmark court case in which automakers sought to turn back state efforts to rein in cars' production of greenhouse gasses.…

All DOCUMENTS relating to both GLOBAL WARMING and to any of the following individuals: S. Fred Singer, James Glassman, David Legates, Richard Lindzen, Patrick J. Michaels, Thomas Gale Moore, Robert C. Balling, Jr., Sherwood B. Idso, Craig D. Idso, Keith E. Idso, Sallie Baliunas, Paul Reiter, Chris Homer [sic], Ross McKitrick, Julian Morris, Frederick Seitz, Willie Soon, and Steven Milloy,

Jeepers, if you take away all the shills, where will the rubes who comment here get their material?

Anyway, as I said at Coby's crib, maybe we can get a Wegman report-type network analysis on the usual suspects.

I wonder how the rubes will respond to that (better stock up on popcorn).

Best,

D

Here in Charlottesville there's some sleuthing going on to figure out how Pat Michaels was appointed as state climatologist in the first place. Brief version: U of Virginia says, "we thought the Governor appointed him", while the Governor's office says, "we thought it was a UVa appointment"!

A city councilman and a prominent local blogger are on it, so I expect someone is going to be required to provide solid answers before long.

By David Sewell (not verified) on 02 Aug 2006 #permalink

> the rubes who comment here

As a Southerner myself, I must protest your referring to these gentleman as rubes. Nor should you call them lowbrows, rednecks or Neanderthals.

Call them "stocky hicks" to be accurate.

By Hank Roberts (not verified) on 02 Aug 2006 #permalink

Better get your facts correct son

By Louis Hissink (not verified) on 03 Aug 2006 #permalink

Stocky hicks. Hmmmm... stocky hicks...

I wonder if rube can still be used in some context like 'Rube Goldberg', to acknowledge all the contortions and pretzeling their 'logic' goes thru to support their worldview...

Best,

D

As a Virginia native and UVA alumn, there is absolutely, possitively NOTHING you could tell me about a joint University/State gov't appointment that would surprise me. On the bright side, you can now drive through Patricia Kluge's estate on the way to her winery. On the down side, no free rides in the Governor's helicopter.