Senator Tells Pope to Butt Out of Climate Change Debate

Oklahoma senator James Inhofe, who now chairs the Senate environment and public works committee despite famously calling global warming “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people”, took a star turn on Thursday at the Heartland Institute, whose conferences function as a hub for climate deniers. His message – that “God is still up there” and that Pope Francis should mind his own business – sent a clear signal to his fellow conservatives: climate skeptics have a loyal – and newly powerful – friend in Congress. Inhofe told reporters on Thursday, "The pope ought to stay with his job, and we’ll stay with ours.” He then later added, "I am not going to talk about the pope. Let him run his shop, and we’ll run ours.”