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Inhofe thanks green group for 'Rubber Dodo Award'
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) thanked a green group on Friday for recognizing his skepticism of climate science with an award that is meant to be disparaging.
The Center for Biological Diversity bestowed Inhofe with its “Rubber Dodo Award,” which it doles out annually to people the group says have done the most to drive endangered species extinct. It has previously been given to The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, former BP chief Tony Hayward and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R).
Inhofe, who has made curbing environmental rules one of his top legislative goals, said he's honored to be the latest recipient.
“I am truly honored that yet another radical environmental group has given me an award for my efforts to put a stop to President Obama’s far-left global warming agenda,” Inhofe said in a statement.
All three candidates are facing Democratic incumbents who voted against Inhofe's bill to block Environmental Protection Agency rules that limit mercury pollution and other toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants. That bill failed in June by a 46-53 vote.
Flipping the Senate to Republicans would improve the chances of that bill passing next Congress. It also would likely make Inhofe chairman of Environment and Public Works, enabling him to set the committee’s agenda.
It is that very possibility that earned Inhofe the award, Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement on Friday.
“Senator Inhofe’s pet theory that climate change is an elaborate hoax would be hilarious, if only he weren’t an elected representative of the American people. If he were, say, a performance artist, it’d be really funny. But sadly he has the power to affect U.S. climate policy,” he said.
