Ben Santer’s Beatdown of Michaels, reposted
December 12, 2010
There were problems with the sound synching on the original video – It took me a while to track down a fix, and some people are still not happy. Take your pick. It’s interesting that these climate hearing videos have become so popular, I originally posted these in the expectation that at least a few wonks would be interested – but they seem to have taken on the air of a sporting event.
I think it shows that people are hungry for men of real accomplishment and authority to be heard directly on this issue – and that the scientists who are now fighting back have a moral authority and powers of persuasion that can affect the debate. It makes me think that if die-hard anti-science republicans want to put climate scientists on trial in the new session, that we should say “bring it on”.
I wish I had the popcorn concession.
Climate Denial Crock of the Week 
December 12, 2010 at 6:27 pm
When I first saw this exchange on c-span, my first thought was, “I can hardly wait for greenman to start mining this mother-lode of stupidity”. And mine hit you did!
Mucho-thanx for going through all that c-span footage and pulling out the juicy bits.
Hopefully, excerpts from this and other video footage will serve as useful political weapons against the loons in 2012.
And Dr. Santer (in case you or one of your colleagues sees this), my only quibble with your performance is that you treated Michaels with too much respect while you were beating the crap out of him!
December 13, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Was Pat Michaels, as an expert, more than “wrong”? Perjury – “The willful giving of false testimony under oath or affirmation, before a competent place or seat of judgment, upon a point material to a legal inquiry.”
January 21, 2011 at 10:45 pm
[…] (received over $1 million in grants from Koch since 2005) is the frontgroup for climate-denier Patrick Michaels, who has been a vocal spokesperson regarding “ClimateGate.” Pat Michaels is the second most […]
February 24, 2011 at 3:23 am
[…] great example of a scientist defending science is Dr. Ben Santer’s November 2010 Congressional testimony where he shows how Patrick Michaels misleads. (More coverage also on Climate Science […]