Senator Inhofe acts his shoe size regarding COP15

When I was a kid sharing a bedroom with my brother, we both refused to move into the extra bedroom so that the other would not have the bigger room. We were stubborn and vindictive, but at least we weren't using taxpayer money in doing so. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe (R). In an interview published in the New York Times, Inhofe gives voice to the true spirit of partisan bickering.

In the interview by Debora Solomon Inhofe is asked why he plans to attend the UN Climate Conference beginning next week. He responded,

I don’t want a group of people to tell the people of Copenhagen that the United States is going to pass some kind of a cap-and-trade bill. I want to be there, if I’m a one-man truth squad, to say: "No, that isn’t true. They don’t have the votes. We’re not going to pass it."

Were that the message the Obama administration was taking to Copenhagen this might make more sense. It's not. The administration has discussed implementing a cap and trade system at times, but not in conjunction with the UN climate talks. According to the official White House press release and the president's energy advisor Carol Browner's statements on the president's decision to go, the message will be that the United States is committing to a 17% reduction in emissions by 2020 and 83% by 2050. This is a target already passed in the House of Representatives and lower than the target of the most recent Senate climate bill that has been released. Nowhere in the press release is any mention of cap and trade or any such mechanism.

Inhofe suggests that Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will actually call for a Senate floor vote just to keep Senators Kerry (D-MA) and Boxer (D-CA) from "embarrassing" themselves by going to the conference with unfulfillable promises.

NYT: They say they’re going.
Inhofe: Let’s wait and see what happens. I say I’m going, but if Harry decides he is going to call for votes during that time, I’m in the same position they’re in, and I won’t go.

NYT: So if they go, you’ll go?
Inhofe: Basically, yes.

Senator Inhofe mentions spending a good bit of time with his grandkids, revealing exactly how he remembers how to pull off the elementary school act.

What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.