Inhofe declares victory in climate change battle

The leading Republican opponent of climate change legislation is claiming victory in his battle against a cap-and-trade bill.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), a global warming skeptic who serves as ranking member of the Environment and Public Works committee, said in an interview and a Senate floor speech that he had prevailed in the fight against the legislation.

"Look, the attitude around here -- this elitist attitude around the Senate -- they seem to have forgotten last August when people were up in arms," Inhofe said during an appearance on Chicago's WIND radio. "And what were they up in arms on? Two different things: socialized medicine and of course my favorite subject, where we finally had a victory, and that is the largest tax increase in the history of the country, called cap and trade."

The Oklahoma Republican explained in a speech on the Senate floor that the delays in putting in place new climate rules, both in the Senate and at an upcoming summit in Denmark, had vindicated him and global warming skeptics.

"Today, I have been vindicated," he said. "I proudly declare 2009 as the ‘Year of the Skeptic,’ the year in which scientists who question the so-called global warming consensus are being heard."

World leaders, including President Barack Obama, gathered in Asia last weekend agreed to postpone coming to a global climate agreement at the December Copenhagen summit, where Inhofe had planned to travel. A spokesman for Inhofe emailed Thursday to clarify that the senator still plans to attend the conference.

Senate leaders have also acknowledged that climate change legislation constructing a cap-and-trade system to regulate emissions is likely to slip into 2010, where it may be more difficult to muster the 60 votes necessary to break a filibuster during an election year. 

Updated at 8:45 p.m.