Though such instances are quite rare, especially from conservative and Republican office-holding politicians and bureaucrats, we've been told time and again by the left that it's people on the right who demonize and dehumanize their opponents.
Well, I don't recall George W. Bush, anyone in his administration, or any Republican congressman or senator serving at the time of his tax cuts or during the Iraq War characterizing their political opposition as not being "normal people." (Considering the out-of-control conduct of and statements made by many opponents, the temptation to do so must have been nearly overwhelming.) Readers can be sure that if they had, outfits like the Hill and the Assocated Press would have reported it. So why did those two news organizations ignore what they heard from EPA head Gina McCarthy at a White House climate change summit earlier this week?
Michael Bastasch at the Daily Caller heard it, and he did what reporters are supposed to do when someone utters an obviously controversial statement. He reported it (bolds are mine):
EPA Chief: ‘Climate Deniers’ Aren’t Normal Human Beings
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy told an audience Tuesday gathered at a White House conference “normal people,” not “climate deniers” will win the debate on global warming.
McCarthy’s remarks came as she was talking about the reasons why the EPA put out a report on the negative health impacts global warming will have on public health. She said the agency puts out such reports to educate the public, not answer critiques from global warming skeptics.
“I am doing that not to push back on climate deniers,” McCarthy told doctors, health professionals and others gathered at a White House summit. “You can have fun doing that if you want, but I’ve batted my head against the wall too many times and if the science already hasn’t changed their mind it never will.”
McCarthy then remarked how “normal people,” and not skeptics would eventually win the global warming debate. Implicit in her remarks is the contention that skeptics are somehow not “normal people.”
The Hill's Devin Henry was presumably there. At least he filed a report as if he was, but didn't relay McCarthy's "normal people" statement:
“Climate change is not just the biggest environmental challenge of our time, it is the biggest public health challenge of our time,” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Gina McCarthy said at a White House summit on climate change and health.
Officials promoted a handful of EPA regulations as the backbone of the administration’s work on climate change, including a proposed rule on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. But they said more work needs to happen to protect people from health problems induced by climate change.
The AP's Matthew Daly was also presumably there, but also didn't take note of McCarthy's "normal humans" remark:
While the most severe effects of global warming would not be felt for decades, the Obama administration said decisions about climate change need to be made now.
"Decisions are not going to wait 50 years," EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy told reporters at a White House briefing. "They are today's decisions."
McCarthy called the report "a wake-up call for some who may not be aware" of the potential damages of climate change.
Henry's and Daly's failure to report McCarthy's demonizing, dehumanizing remark would indicate one or more the following four things:
- That they are bereft of journalistic instincts in believing that there was nothing extraordinary about McCarthy's remark.
- That they know McCarthy's remark was newsworthy, but were afraid to report it because it might affect future access to Obama administration officials.
- That they completely agree with what she said, thus making her stridency about her opponents unimportant.
- That they completely agree with what she said, but know full well that reporting her remark would create controversy their beloved administration doesn't need.
Meanwhile the "settled science" crowd, which has been unable to explain way a warming hiatus which has entered it nineteenth year, will surely try to ignore or downplay the following inconvenient developments:
- "New paper finds the 18+ year 'pause' of global warming is not due to missing heat hiding in the deep oceans" (full study here).
- NOAA data indicates that "The USA is in the 10th year of a cooling trend"
But if you bring this up with Gina McCarthy, she'll characterize you as being opposed to "normal people."
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
