Soccer Dad

An inconvenient secretary

Richard Cohen today considers an absolutely essential accessory for President-elect Obama's cabinet: Al Gore for State:

If there is a single appointment Barack Obama could make to signal how dramatically things will change in Washington, it would be to name Albert Gore Jr. -- former House member, former senator, former vice president, former presidential nominee and current Custodian of the Planet -- as secretary of state. For all the other aspirants to the job, sorry -- this is an inconvenient truth.

Can you imagine a bolder statement about a new direction when it comes to global warming and the general care of our abused planet? Gore has won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in this area (and an Oscar, to boot), and his appointment would signal a dramatic shift from the indifference of the Bush era with its cold shoulder to the Kyoto treaty. In one stroke, the United States would emerge as the leader of nations in the effort to save the planet from ourselves -- and could prepare for the consequences of a changed world.

Yes, that Oscar really clinches it for me.

And that award winning film is legally required to carry a warning that it contains some inconvenient errors.

And not a moment too soon.

We are already seeing early cold and snow in the northern Rockies and Plains and even in the UK. Cold weather appears to be in the cards for eastern Asia the next week or two. Blocking high pressure seen above in first figure in the North Atlantic is what will keep northwest Europe and the eastern United States cold. Snow should be heaviest relative to normal from the northern and central Rockies, northern and central Plains, Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic and southeastern New England. Snow to north should be less than last year but snowcover will be most persistent there.

I mean when is Global Warming going to be more urgent when we're in middle of a ten year hiatus and we're headed into a colder than usual winter (and summer in the southern hemisphere)?

Cohen's two other choices are actually reasonable, assuming that there's a need for a federal Department of Education. But Al Gore?