OPINION:
Flags in Oklahoma remained at half-staff through Wednesday to mark the death of James Inhofe. In representing the Sooner State for five terms, the former senator leaves us with a lasting example of how to advance conservative ideas against overwhelming odds.
Inhofe went where, at the time, his weak-willed Republican colleagues dared not go. He was among the first to take on the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people” — climate change — with wit and a dash of showmanship. He helped expose the charlatans making apocalyptic predictions for personal gain.
Using committee hearing rooms and the Senate floor as a platform, he showcased the work of respected scientists who didn’t go along with the supposed “scientific consensus” on global warming. He skewered, for example, the insistence that humanity must have been responsible for Hurricane Katrina’s destruction in 2005.
“Climate modelers project all kinds of scary scenarios, and this allows the media to pick and choose which one they want to show,” the senator said. “Hysteria sells. … But if the observations of what is happening today are not consistent with what climate models predict, then we do know that our understanding of the globe is incomplete.”
He stood on the Senate floor with placards featuring doomsday proclamations from prominent newspapers hyping climate-related disasters as far back as the late 1800s. At first, the predictions were about global cooling. The stories shifted in the 1930s and 1950s to global warming before changing back to the “approaching ice age” boogeyman of the 1970s. The “consensus” settled back on global warming in the 1990s.
“There are many more examples of the media and scientists flip-flopping between warming and cooling scares,” the senator said in a floor speech. “They don’t really care. They just want to scare you.”
His press office prepared copies of his remarks, which were always carefully documented so that the media and public could review the facts for themselves. He helped teach an entire generation about the other side of the story.
The senator was kept up to speed on issues of the day by a cadre of fiercely loyal staff. Inhofe excelled at developing talent, boasting alumni such as Andrew Wheeler, who went on to serve as former President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency chief, and Marc Morano, creator of the Climate Depot website — essential reading for anyone interested in the latest developments on global warming.
As an Army veteran, Inhofe championed a strong military from his post chairing the Senate Armed Services Committee. He was also outspoken on aviation issues. As a commercial pilot, he flew himself around every corner of his state to attend campaign events. Unlike some politicians, he was willing to put on a show to demonstrate his mental and physical agility.
In 2020, Inhofe recorded a campaign ad while flying inverted. “That’s to overcome the criticism — just criticism — of my age, and so my position has always been,” he said, “when I can no longer fly a plane upside down, then I’m too old to be in the United States Senate.”
He made that decision two years later, announcing his retirement. Survived by Kay, his wife of 55 years, three children and a dozen grandchildren, he will be missed.
Rest in peace, senator.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.