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Alaskan youth testifies on the Hill — and draws Limbaugh's ire
McClatchy Washington Bureau ^ | November 05, 2007 | Erika Bolstad

Posted on 11/05/2007 7:41:19 PM PST by Graybeard58

WASHINGTON — Charlee Lockwood has never heard of Rush Limbaugh or listened to his radio program, and perhaps it's just as well.

On Monday, the talk radio king told listeners that Democrats were exploiting the 18-year-old Yupik Eskimo, and that her emotional testimony that day in front of a U.S. House committee on global warming made him "really want to puke. I just want to throw up."

"It's the Democrats exploiting a young child, ladies and gentlemen, for the advancement of a political issue that will grow the size of government and increase their control over everyone," Limbaugh told listeners of the 600 stations nationwide that carry his show.

Lockwood didn't let Limbaugh's comments faze her. Her upbringing in the community of St. Michael included learning "about respect and treating people the way you want to be treated," Lockwood said, during a brief interview just before she got on a plane to return to her village on Alaska's west coast.

And she had plenty of people willing to defend her.

"For Rush Limbaugh to make fun of young people coming in and trying to be a part of the political process, it really shows a disdain for political discourse and for the role of young people in that political discourse," said Eben Burnham-Snyder, a spokesman for the chairman of the committee, Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass.

Limbaugh's attack on the teenager was "outrageous and grotesque," said Deborah Williams, an Anchorage environmentalist who accompanied Lockwood on the teen's first trip to the nation's capital in 2005. It's one thing to take aim at a public figure, Williams said, but it's quite another to attack someone young and eager to participate in the democratic process.

"I know Charlee really quite well and she is her own person," Williams said. "She got involved in this because she feels a big moral commitment to protect her community. She is passionate about this issue, and she has so much invested in this issue."

Lockwood was among 5,000 teens and young adults who descended on Washington Monday in what may have been the biggest lobbying day ever on energy and climate issues. Ten other young people from Alaska attended the event, through Alaska Youth for Environmental Action.

Organizers described the Washington gathering, known as Power Shift 2007, as "the first national youth summit to solve the climate crisis."

Lockwood, who hopes to study to be a health aide in rural Alaska, has already become something of a veteran environmental activist. She traveled to Washington two years ago to deliver 5,000 signatures from fellow Alaska high school students who sought to draw attention to the effects of global warming in the state.

On Monday, she and other students met with a staffer in Alaska Rep. Don Young's office, and with both of Alaska's senators, Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Ted Stevens.

Stevens hadn't listened to the Limbaugh program Monday afternoon, although an aide burned a CD for him to listen to later at home. The senator had no comment on the program, said Aaron Saunders, a spokesman for Stevens.

The young people from Alaska spent about an hour Monday engaged in a "lively and frank conservation about climate change and global warming" with Stevens, Saunders said.

The senator and the students weren't in total agreement, Saunders said. Stevens has repeatedly questioned the causes of global warming, but acknowledges that climate change has had a disastrous effect on the state's remote villages. Last month, Stevens accompanied the chairwoman of the Disaster Recovery subcommittee, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., to Shishmaref to survey the damage from coastal erosion.

On Monday, Lockwood offered an eloquent description of the effects of global warming on her own village of St. Michael. Moose once walked by the village; now, they've migrated farther north and are rarely seen. There are fewer fish each year at the family's summer fish camp, Lockwood said, and their favorite berry-picking spots aren't producing as much fruit anymore.

"Our traditional ways of life will die like the food we grew up eating, our hunters will have to travel farther to keep food in their homes," she warned in testimony submitted to the committee. "Our culture will die because everyone will have to move someplace and there will be no one to teach them to."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
KEYWORDS: globalwarming
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Charlee Lockwood has never heard of Rush Limbaugh

One of the few people in the free world who hasn't at least heard of Rush Limbaugh.

1 posted on 11/05/2007 7:41:20 PM PST by Graybeard58
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To: Graybeard58

Who’s going to write the ebay letter this time?


2 posted on 11/05/2007 7:43:06 PM PST by phrogphlyer (Proud member of the contrarian fringe.)
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To: Graybeard58
Charlee Lockwood has never heard of Rush Limbaugh or listened to his radio program, and perhaps it's just as well.

Don't Eskimos have radios or electricity?

3 posted on 11/05/2007 7:45:55 PM PST by Cowboy Bob (Withhold Taxes - Starve a Liberal)
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To: Graybeard58

From the snipet I heard on Rush’s radio show this kid is a total mental whack job.


4 posted on 11/05/2007 7:46:06 PM PST by fkabuckeyesrule (Revenge begins on December 22nd!!!!!)
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To: Graybeard58

Despite it not being connected to the lower 48, Alaskan coastal erosion would be on the news quite frequently.


5 posted on 11/05/2007 7:46:14 PM PST by wastedyears (One Marine vs. 550 consultants. Sounds like good odds to me.)
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To: Graybeard58

Never hear so much whining from an brain washed 18 yr old baby. Waanh Waanh Waanh the world is ending!


6 posted on 11/05/2007 7:47:18 PM PST by Rodm (Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings)
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To: Graybeard58
Limbaugh's attack on the teenager was "outrageous and grotesque," said Deborah Williams, an Anchorage environmentalist who accompanied Lockwood on the teen's first trip to the nation's capital in 2005. It's one thing to take aim at a public figure, Williams said, but it's quite another to attack someone young and eager to participate in the democratic process.

Deb Williams' website with the requisite polar bear

http://www.alaskaconservationsolutions.com/acs/index.php

PB5.jpg

7 posted on 11/05/2007 7:47:52 PM PST by dennisw (Islam - "a transnational association of dangerous lunatics")
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To: Graybeard58
On Monday, Lockwood offered an eloquent description of the effects of global warming on her own village of St. Michael. Moose once walked by the village; now, they've migrated farther north and are rarely seen. There are fewer fish each year at the family's summer fish camp, Lockwood said, and their favorite berry-picking spots aren't producing as much fruit anymore.

Bogus. Phony.

8 posted on 11/05/2007 7:48:02 PM PST by gunservative
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To: Graybeard58

Barf


9 posted on 11/05/2007 7:48:06 PM PST by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
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To: fkabuckeyesrule

I listen to Rush nearly every day. I had to turn the radio off when this sniveling little brat started blubbering on.


10 posted on 11/05/2007 7:48:42 PM PST by chaos_5 (Fred & Hunter '08)
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To: Graybeard58

The 18 year-old with a skull full of mush just learned that politics is a nasty business, wear a helmet when you decide to enter the arena.


11 posted on 11/05/2007 7:49:07 PM PST by dfwgator (War Damn Eagle!)
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To: Graybeard58
It's one thing to take aim at a public figure, Williams said, but it's quite another to attack someone young and eager to participate in the democratic process.

I've got news for you, Mzzzzz Wiiliams -- Anyone testifying before Congress has just made themselves a public figure (or has been conned into becoming one).

12 posted on 11/05/2007 7:49:22 PM PST by Bob
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To: Graybeard58

Rush is doing yeoman’s work exposing the Democrat exploitation of kids and “victims” of this, that or the other. Average, non-political Americans are beginning to get wise to the scam.

One has to give Ann Coulter credit, too, for her brave calling-out of the “Jersey Girls.”


13 posted on 11/05/2007 7:49:46 PM PST by JennysCool (Don't taze me, Bro!)
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To: Graybeard58

I find it interesting that liberals enjoy using children and young adults has human sheilds. Seems they have something in common with the muslim terrorists!


14 posted on 11/05/2007 7:50:09 PM PST by Tamar1973 (Riding the Korean Wave, one BYJ movie at a time! (http://www.byj.co.kr))
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To: Graybeard58
"For Rush Limbaugh to make fun of young people coming in and trying to be a part of the political process, it really shows a disdain for political discourse and for the role of young people in that political discourse,"

It shows a disdain for leftist tactics (which aren't even remotely democratic it should be pointed out) which parade children in front of congress to demagogue issues. Any first year rhetoric class will point out why this is done. It's just sickening how low these people will go.
15 posted on 11/05/2007 7:50:12 PM PST by Freedom4US
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To: Graybeard58
On Monday, the talk radio king told listeners that Democrats were exploiting the 18-year-old Yupik Eskimo.....

I'll bet he's never spent 10 minutes in an igloo

16 posted on 11/05/2007 7:50:17 PM PST by dennisw (Islam - "a transnational association of dangerous lunatics")
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To: Graybeard58

go Rush!


17 posted on 11/05/2007 7:50:19 PM PST by balch3
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To: Graybeard58

“Um, well, we pretty well got our butts kicked up ‘round our ears over the whole ‘phony soldier’ thing, so... no comment!”


18 posted on 11/05/2007 7:50:24 PM PST by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
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To: Graybeard58
Soooooooo, what was the carbon footprint of tranporting all these wise-at-the-mere-age-of-18-year-olds?

Did they simply make out a check to King Gay-a, otherwise known as The Gore-acle?

19 posted on 11/05/2007 7:50:29 PM PST by kromike
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To: Graybeard58
"really want to puke. I just want to throw up."

I heard it this morning. I'm with Rush on this one, made me want to barf too.

20 posted on 11/05/2007 7:51:38 PM PST by NurdlyPeon (Thompson / Hunter in 2008)
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