FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Contact: Chris Horner
Chris.Horner@ATI.org
Texas Tech ignores request for Gingrich book records
Controversial activist professor claims to have spent 100+ hours on chapter suddenly dropped from upcoming book
WASHINGTON — American Tradition Institute, a non-profit research institute dedicated to restoring science, liberty and accountability to the environmental debate, filed on Dec. 10 a Public Information Act request with Texas Tech University relating to collaboration on a book, using public time and resources, between “climate” activist Professor Katharine Hayhoe and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.
Texas Tech was to produce responsive records by early last week. To date, ATI has not received a response.
“This is a matter of significant public interest, as Mr. Gingrich’s views and past activism on the ‘climate’ issue receive scrutiny by voters seeking to assess his judgment and compatibility with their views,” said Chris Horner, ATI’s Senior Director of Litigation.
Hayhoe, who preaches that human activity is destroying the climate and that Christian stewardship compels acceptance of the ‘climate’ agenda, had been publicly identified as a contributor to Gingrich’s forthcoming book “Environmental Entrepreneurs.” Hayhoe had gained notoriety for urging evangelical Christians into supporting the controversial, costly and according to all computer models, climatically meaningless ‘climate’ agenda. News outlets now report that Gingrich, under fire for his left-of-center views on the environment from presidential competitors and Tea Party activists, quickly deep-sixed Hayhoe’s chapter last week.
“Nice to hear that Gingrich is tossing my #climate chapter in the trash. 100+ unpaid hrs I cd’ve spent playing w my baby,” Hayhoe posted on her Twitter account Dec. 30.
ATI requested all emails to or from any Texas Tech email account used by Hayhoe (including as “cc”,) and either or both Gingrich and his co-author Terry Maple.
ATI also requested all emails sent or received by Hayhoe citing or referring to one or more of the following: Newt Gingrich (or “Newt” or “Gingrich”), Terry Maple (or “Terry”, or “Maple”), American Solutions (including in the email address/domain), and/or “Environmental Entrepreneurs”.
With time of the essence and the law very clear, ATI questions any further delays by Texas Tech in coming into compliance with its obligations, and calls on the university to promptly produce these records the public paid for and have a right to see.
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American Tradition Institute
Tom Tanton, Acting Executive Director
I don’t trust Newt on this issue (and the border issue as well). That’s too bad because he’s a sharp guy and has lots of experience.
I’m not exactly sure where I draw the line for FOIA and while this example may be legally within FOIA’s scope- to me- this request falls into the “Did you really need to send an FOIA about this?” I worry similar FOIA’s may eventually hurt our ability (and credibility) to demand more important things like code and raw data sets.
So sad, personally I kinda like Newt, I’d have loved to have him as a 101 Southern Political History instructor, beyond that…. maybe not.
. . . . “Newt’s climate train wreck”
Hmmm … where is this Newt’s “train wreck”?
Dismissed on account of “failure to show connection or relevancy” …
(The beef seems to be with Texas Tech University.)
HNY!
I try and stay from the politics of place I do not live in or vote in. That said N.G. has painted himself in a ideological box year ago. His handlers know he is unelectable unless they can tone down the extreme and at least give the smoke and mirrors impression of moderation. Like the tail of emperors’ and new cloths it is a fools task.
Eye of NEWT, eye of TOAD…Hum, as I recall one energy saving idea out of NEWT was ‘giant space mirrors” for night time illumination…
I’m sure he’d have NO trouble positioning them himself, being already in close proximity..
HalfEmpty you are right. Newt desire to glom onto any titillating idea before digesting it completely makes him too mercurial for the brass ring he is currently aiming for.
Unpaid hours? Well, maybe we’ll see.
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Where’s Obama in all this? Hiding in the golf club, and wincing at any mention of Keystone.
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In my humble opinion, GOV. RICK PERRY is most qualified to
be the next POTUS, Commander-in-Chief, and leader of the FREE WORLD.
No other individual running for POTUS is better prepared, tested, and PROVEN to be the REAL leader that America needs in this juncture of our history. We are talking about electing a man that will lead and govern a nation with the 3rd largest population in the world…over 300,000,000 Americans. Furthermore, we are talking about electing the leader, of the WORLD’S LARGEST ECONOMY, and the world’s ONLY SUPERPOWER.
For the last 11-years, GOV. RICK PERRY has successfully governed the state with the 2nd largest population in our country…a state with 25,000,000 people. In addition, Texas is the world’s 16th largest economy…bigger than a majority of the countries worldwide (including Israel). Texas has a 1200 mile border with a foreign country, it has coastlines and seaports, produces oil in vast quantities, it has more clean energy windmills than any other state in the country, it has 20,000 National Guard/Reserves troops…including numerous major military installations, and Space Center to boot.
GOVERNOR RICK PERRY has served his country as a military officer and pilot in the USAF. Very importantly, there will be NO DOWN TIME in our country for any ON-THE-JOB TRAINING with GOV. RICK PERRY.
RICK PERRY’S moral character, belief in God, and CAN DO attitude…will guide him well…as our future POTUS.
We – all of us, not just the voting American public – have a right to know when our “leaders” are lying to us. Bush/Blair got the West into Iraq with out-and-out lies about Saddam and his non-existent WMD. If Newt is lying when he says he supports CO2 legislation but doesn’t, the pro-agenda people have a right to know he lies, and if he is lying when he says he doesn’t support the legislation, the anti-agenda people have a right to know that, too.
The FOIA concept is to stop the lying endemic in public discourse by letting the potential liers know the truth will out. If they stump for a position, they’d better have done their homework and stand by their conclusions. Yes, there is a danger in shutting down the process by overwhelming the system with requests, some of which will be frivolous. But that is because, until now, access to records has been difficult, slow and easy to discourage. Lies, manipulations and deceit have worked very well to keep the political machines running – consider Blair’s admission that the British FOIA, in his opinion, interferes with “good” government. Only when enough politicians and others with personal and business agendas feel real threat should they step over the line, will the line-crossing reduce.
Accountability should be the price for power and position. The FOIA laws are the first tool any of us outside of the inner circles have of implementing what should, morally, be already commonplace.
The fact that this flip-flopping hypocrite is even relevant is a sad commentary on current Republican politics – as is most of their current crop of leadership wannabes.
Gosh golly Gee we really need an Evangelical climate scientist hurling a crock of hooey into the debate. On second thought it’s probably more honest than the other bunch who cloak religion in the guise of science. But Old Newt sees the light, perhaps, but just like any politician he knows what’s good for him, and as AGW falls from favor, he shifts his platform. I’m sure there are more than a few Republicans raising their eyebrows at what might be perceived to be an inconsistency in policy?
OT … Here in southern Alberta there is a large population of deeply devout Christians of assorted denominations. Most believe it is arrogant to think humans can manipulate climate and that what happens with weather and climate is in the hands of God. They do not accept AGW and believe we have no business meddling. Several have congratulated me for my “letters to the editor” because I do not believe in AGW for assorted scientific/factual reasons. I have explained my agnostic religious views to them, but we still agree that man has little influence on climate. We have different religious beliefs, but they are great allies.
Clive
Newt has been in the government version of the ivory tower so long his brain isn’t filled with gray matter, it’s filled with chameleon color. He will be whatever you want him to be, regardless of pledges to be this or that. This time I am voting for someone who has stood on just one side of the climate fence. If there is such a person. They all seem to have the rail shoved up between their legs.
For much more on what a complete hack Hayhoe is, Steven Goddard’s realscience site has an abundance of examples.
As soon as I had heard about Newt’s links to her I immediately began hoping for what is now happening. That is, Newt is toast.
Newt’s behavior on this issue is disquieting. I know this is not a political blog and I am not an American citizen and have no right to be involved in American politics, so I observe in reference to the climate discussion that Newt should stick to what he knows something about before he steps in and sh*ts it all up for himself, his party and the American people.
He is so sharp and witty and so many issues… how can he be so ZANY and off-the-rails on this?
This revelation, that his has been conspiring with that global warming evangelical, puts him in a category and fundamentally untrustworthy and should be forthwith shunned but the republican party.
I have no problem with religious advocacy. I have a big problem with science being turned into a religion and this woman Katharine Hayhoe (an IPCC reviewer no less) pursues her interests with abandon and claims that science was somehow involved. She is undisciplined in her reasoning and shockingly obsessed with AGW as being a fact, which exposes the inappropriateness of her involvement with the IPCC.
Mysticism is great. Many of the religions in the world do great things. Many religious people have contributed profoundly to science (Bacon, Newton, Pascal, Copernicus, LeMaitre… etc). These great people were able to understand the fundamental necessity of the scientific method and allow their inspirations to be judged by the rigors of proof and evidence. Hayhoe is a delirious and spooky global warming robot with unrestrained religious enthusiasm about it.
Therefore the fact that an aspiring PRESIDENT would engage such an inappropriate extremist nullifies his suitability to be the republican nominee.
My son has a copy of one of his books signed in person by Newt at CPAC, and we think the world of Newt…. but this is the last straw. Newt….you are done.
The professor doesn’t belong in the White House.
Good grief…..she had a baby in the shape this planet is in
…we can hope it skips a generation
Whining because her chapter was axed….tuff tooties
Newt is a professonal, lifetme politician. He will back whatever he thinks necessary to gain power and retain it. An ethically challenged D.C. “insider”. Just like about 90% of our elected officials. I am, by the way, rather conservative in my views . I don’t know where the qualified and patriotic conservative candidates are, but Newt is just more of the status quo.
Newt (and other politicians) sell their souls for 30 pieces of silver so often it is amazing they have anything left.
Ron Paul 2012!
I really hope he can pull it off. A breath of fresh air and some real positive changes would be a nice change from all the For-Sale-icians out there.
Hoser says:
January 1, 2012 at 1:47 pm
The professor doesn’t belong in the White House.
Which one? The Law Professor or the History Prof? Or was that rhetorical?
I think Ron Paul is the best man for the job. He is the only one talking sense.
Ron Paul 2012 !
I lost almost all respect for Newt when he sat on the “global warming love seat” with Pelosi. I just couldn’t believe that commercial when I saw it. Still can’t believe he did that. We now know that Newt has has bought into AGW. Too bad he didn’t sit on the love seat with Al Gore. That would have shut him out of the race entirely, and none of this would be a problem. Still, he’d make a far better president than Obama. I really do not want to hold my nose and vote for yet another stinking RINO, but looks like that’s exactly what it will come down to. Again.
If you hire a company to do the roof on your house, are you not allowed to verify that they did the job correctly? After all, if you are paying for it with your money, you have the inherent right to ensure that you get what you are paying for.
Any company, government entity, or employee that receives PUBLIC money should be required, under penalty of imprisonment to produce any and all work or correspondence for PUBLIC scrutiny.
If the public picks up the tab, it is our information. We paid for it.