As Washington gets buried by consecutive major snow storms, Republicans are reviving one of their oldest and dumbest tricks: using snow to mock the idea of global warming. Just before the first storm hit, the Virginia Republican Party ran a web ad attacking Democratic Reps. Rick Boucher and Tom Periello for supporting climate change legislation, and then said:

Call Boucher and Perriello and tell them how much global warming you get this weekend. Maybe they’ll come help you shovel.

In the same ludicrous spirit, the daughter, son-and-law and grandchildren of Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oil) built an igloo on the National Mall and called it “Al Gore’s new home.”
Yuck yuck.
The problem is that more severe winter weather tends to confirm rather than contradict climate change theory. Warmer overall temperatures produce moisture, which in winter tends to produce snow. Climate scientists have long predicted more turbulent winter weather as a result of climate change. And by the way, last month was the world’s warmest January on record.
This won’t keep conservatives from taking cheap shots at anyone who wants to deal with climate change, but it’s worth knowing that this particular attack line is particularly cynical and wrong-minded.