Road Trip
It's Getting Hot in Herre

Senators Hilary Clinton and John McCain have taken a trip, along with Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina (both Republicans) to Alaska and Canada's Yukon Territory to see for themselves what global warming hath wrought. Salon's War Room has some of the reactions to this trip, including FawksNews' number-one numbskull, John Gibson:

For McCain, the trip has confirmed his belief that global warming is real and that the North and South poles are the miner's canaries of global climate change, as they experience its effects first. For Fox News anchor John Gibson, the trip was an opportunity to joke that Clinton and McCain must be "dating," according to News Hounds, which watches Fox so you don't have to. Gibson said that he'd prefer it if the two senators were instead "ripping each other's throat out, figuratively speaking." News Hounds says Gibson did not bother to address the policy issues underlying the trip. That presidential front-runners from both parties are making this trip must be heartening news to Sheila Watt-Cloutier, an Inuit leader whose group, the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, has filed a human rights petition against the United States for its failure to curb its greenhouse gas emissions. Watt-Cloutier hopes the suit will compel other government officials to come north and see for themselves what the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment recently documented: The Arctic is melting. Don't expect McCain's visit to have any impact on Rush Limbaugh listeners, however. Just last week the infallible radio host engaged in a lengthy dissertation on climate change for the sake of his dittoheads. Media Matters says Limbaugh rehashed the canard that global warming is "one of the biggest hoaxes being perpetrated on the people of the world" and stated that the environmental movement is the "latest refuge for communists and socialists who are opposed to capitalism."

Ha ha ha ha--dating! That's a good one. Here's more from News Hounds on the Gibson segment:

Former Congressman Martin Frost (D-TX) and Republican "strategist" Kelly Ann Conway were his guests to discuss the trip and its political implications. Gibson starts off by saying that the two Senators are "probably" going to be running against each other for President in 2008, yet they appear to be dating, going off to Alaska to look at global warming together, what is up with this? Conway got in a predictable jab at Bill Clinton, saying that if they are dating Mrs. Clinton has "traded up, big-time...I guess she's in search of a bedfellow, strange or otherwise." Comment: This is disgraceful and childish on international cable. What next, two male (Democrats of course) Senators traveling will be accused of having a gay relationship? Conway continues, saying that this is good for Clinton's standing and visibility to "hitch one of her wagons to his star", because McCain is perceived as moderate and is a media darling when it comes to presidential politics. She credits McCain for his bipartisanship and genuine interest in the issue. Gibson, in giving a question to Frost, says that if Kelley is right, "and she usually is", why would John McCain participate in this and help Hillary raise her profile with moderates? Frost, put on the defensive, points out that McCain is not the first Republican Hillary has worked with: Frist on healthcare, Graham on issues regarding reservists, and she has been to Iraq earlier this year with McCain. Gibson gives it back to Conway, asking why would McCain do this when they could very well be on stage debating, "ripping each other's throat out, figuratively speaking"; why would he (McCain) be raising her profile, giving her a hand? Frost interrupts to say that Clinton's profile can't be raised, it's already high. Conway says that Clinton is trying to raise her positives, and accuses Frost of trying to do so right here by aligning her (Clinton) with Republicans, and says Clinton is trying to distance herself from the "radical, extremist left wing of the party, that she helped to create by the way." She then goes on a nonsense rant, saying to Frost that she doesn't hear him saying that Hillary is off on a trip to Alaska with John Kerry, or John Edwards, or, ooh, Bill Clinton, or Al Gore "Mr. Environment I invented the Internet I hug trees" so there she is with republicans because you know her negatives are high...' Comment: HRClinton is on the trip with three Republicans, McCain, Susan Collins, and Lindsey Graham. Gibson, thank heavens, overtalks and invites Frost to get in there because the woman is still going on.... Unfortunately, as Frost tries to say that Bill Clinton looks pretty good in these days or high gas prices and deficits, thousands of war dead...Conway continues talking and Gibson overtalks both, ending the segment. Apparently the producers wanted us to know that Madonna fell of a horse today and the whole big story was coming up.

My first reaction is, "People watch this shit!?!?! And give it credence?!?!?!" Media Matters has the goods on Limbaugh, whose air-conditioned existence in a radio studio seems to have cut off his senses from what's going on outside.