Professor Jones also conceded the possibility that the world was warmer in medieval times than now - suggesting global warming may not be a man-made phenomenon.

And he said that for the past 15 years there has been no `statistically significant' warming

Link

One more time.

This is about the political class using scientist who want money and "status" to pontificate false claims so the political class can seize power.

And did Fluke need Obama-the-Dad or Obama-the-President?

In my opinion, she needed the president - she already has a dad, has no doubt heard from lots of other dads who can relate, who support what she said and stands for; she needed the president to let her know that he stands four-square behind not just the right to choose, but behind the right of all people to make their own health care decisions - men and women - based on their own views and beliefs and not on those of an employer.

Charlie Pierce helped me see this when he blogged about the president's presser the other day:

There was one part of the president's press conference today that gave me a bit of the political whim-whams, and I think it's worthy of its own post. Late in the proceedings, he was asked by Jessica Yellin of CNN whether or not he agreed with "some Democrats" -- specifically, with Democratic National Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz -- that the Republican party is engaged in a "war on women."

In Charlie's view - and mine - he completely ducked the question, going on about how women are not single-issue voters and so on.  But, here's the part of his answer that just makes no sense to me:

You know, Jessica, as you know, if I start being in the business of arbitrating... Right, and what I do is I practice it. And so I'm going to try to lead by example in this situation, as opposed to commenting on every single comment that's made by either politicians or pundits. I would be very busy. I would not have time to do my job. That's your job to comment on what's said by politicians and pundits.

And Charlie says:

Not a simple, mumbling word about the right to decent health-care, let alone the right to choose. Given a golden opportunity to say flatly that he and his administration were foursquare behind these rights, he gave the whole thing a pass. I'm sure he's got poll numbers that tell him not to say "abortion" in public but, damn, this was disappointing

"Dad" calles Fluke to share her pain; "President" can't even stand up at a press conference and pick a side.  

He keeps being given opportunities to pick a side (see decision re: Plan B), and he keeps avoiding it - or trying to common-ground it from his role as Dad; meanwhile, the health care decisions of millions of women twist in the wind.

Yes, the decision to cover contraception was the right one, but the way he has handled the inevitable pushback has weakened that decision, shown him to be vulnerable to pressure, and it's only a matter of time, in my opinion, before he gives more over to the other side.