Inslee Rips Into Skeptic at Climategate Hearing

Congressman Jay Inslee (D-Bainbridge Island) is a well-known champion of green causes in Congress. Inslee has expressed interest in running for Governor in 2012 (or before), and is seen by many on the enviro-left as a cool operator.

However, at a recent hearing to investigate the foundations of climate science, a Republican challenging Inslee for his Congressional seat says the green hero was less than courteous to an invited expert (and global warming skeptic), Lord Christopher Monckton.

To this observer, Inslee’s tone was not only condescending, but borderline angry.

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Is Jay Inslee Preparing to Run for Governor?

While most of yesterday’s hubbub centered around Gov. Gregoire being floated for an appointment to the Obama Admin., there were some equally interesting undercurrents just as strong.

Democratic State Auditor Brian Sonntag was apparently convinced that an appointment may be imminent, and was thus flushed out as a contender in the Democratic primary field. But when a reporter for The Fix today checked in with Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee about a potential bid for Governor, a spokesman would only say “neither the White House nor Gregoire’s office had contacted them.” That’s an odd response. Don’t you think?

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Cheat Sheet: Jay Inslee’s Lobbyist Problem

A National Journal article claims that Washington Congressman Jay Inslee (D-Bainbridge Island) is circulating a letter to colleagues that was ghost-written by a lobbying group that wants the FCC to regulate the internet. The conservative blog, RedState.com, points out the irony of the Inslee letter originating from a Congressman so close to Microsoft being caught in a scandal by their technology.

Speaking of Inlee’s relations with lobbyists, it’s instructive to revisit a dust-up that hasn’t gotten much attention. After the state’s Republican AG joined a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the health care reform bill, all eyes were on Inslee (as he’s widely thought to be a candidate for Governor, ahem, should the incumbent leave early).

At the time, Inslee wrote in a press release:

“We fought over 2,000 insurance industry lobbyists in Washington DC to protect Washingtonians health care, we shouldn’t have to fight our own Attorney General too.”

You see, Inslee isn’t any lobbyist’s stooge. Unless, you know, you’re talking about a group wanting to regulate the internet, or the drug companies wanting to maintain their ability to charge exorbitant fees for life-saving drugs (h/t Firedoglake).

Jay Inslee’s Copenhagen Junket Turns Heads

Washington’s 1st District Congressman, Jay Inslee, is said to have his eye on the Governor’s mansion. However, his recent attendance at the U.N. Climate Summit turned a few heads.  And here’s the punch line: it’s CBS News that’s blowing the whistle.

Inslee isn’t the only junket junky from Washington’s Democratic Congressional delegation.  3rd District Congressman Brian Baird (D-Vancouver), faced an outpouring of criticism after taking lavish trips to the Galapagos Islands and the South Pole, ostensibly to “study the oceans” and learn about climate change.  Baird, of course, shocked many observers by announcing his retirement late last year.

For his part, Inslee does have a book on climate change and renewable energy.  But why attend the Copenhagen summit? Everyone else was doing it!  Except, they weren’t.  According to CBS, Nancy Pelosi handpicked attendees.  Sure, Inslee could have  easily attended via teleconference (he can see Microsoft from his front yard!), but hey, who needs such new-fangled technology. Rewind back to August when the town hall shout downs were looming, and Inslee was all about phoning it in.

Yeah, yeah, carbon footprints and all that jazz.  3 military jets. Hundreds of hotel nights booked. But the real kicker is this: the Copehagen summit was by all accounts an abject failure.  Will the luxurious junket put a kink in Inslee’s gubernatorial aspirations?  With the current political climate, Inslee might do better to focus on simply getting re-elected to Congress. Something tells us Inslee’s Congressional travel tab might be front and center this fall.

DNC Ad Boosting “Jay Inslee for Governor”?

That’s the speculation over at Red County.  Blogger Tom Forbes connects the dots on the Democratic National Committee buying up Puget Sound region ad time for Rep. Jay Inslee:

In fact, Josh Kraushaar of Politico is reporting that the Democratic National Committee is providing “political cover” for select House Dems, including Inslee, by running radio ads praising them for their support of Obama’s stimulus package.

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