Let’s set the stage properly for this moment from yesterday. Sen. James Inhofe responded to two accusations from AGW activists. Inhofe has been accused of “McCarthyism” in his demand for an investigation into potential fraud in the anthropogenic global-warming (AGW) movement, specifically basing that on the exposure of attempts to deceive governments, hide data, and sabotage skeptics at the East Anglia CRU. At the same time, however, Al Gore has no problem casting AGW skeptics as “a criminal generation” in the New York Times. Which seems more McCarthyist, and which seems more grounded in reality?

Gore has to know the edifice of alarmism is starting to crumble, so he is swinging for the fences, hoping for a home run to change the game. But Gore is striking out, as he loses his support almost daily in Congress and from the American people. Let’s face it; Gore’s side of the argument is collapsing. He and his allies are running short on facts, and Gore’s criticism of recent events rings hollow. For example, after the [C]limategate scandal broke, Gore was asked by an online publication called Slate as to what he thought of it.

Gore’s response: Well, I haven’t read all of the e-mails, but the most recent one is more than 10 years old. Obviously, of course, that is not true because they go all the way up to 2009. So all he is left with is a two-pronged fork of anger and attack. Just read the New York Times op-ed piece.

By the way, I was told his op-ed piece in the New York Times was three times larger than that which they normally will receive. He wrote that those who question climate alarmism are members of a “criminal generation.” That is me–a criminal? Is Roger Pielke, Jr., a criminal? How about Dr. John Christy of the University of Alabama, Richard Lindzen of MIT, Chris Landsea of the National Hurricane Center? No, they haven’t committed any crimes. They just want honest, open scientific debate.

I might add that thus far the only scientists who commit crimes are those at the CRU. Again, that is the collection point of all the science that the United Nations has put together in this thing called IPCC–those involved in [C]limategate, according to findings of the UK’s Information Commissioner.

So asking questions is suddenly criminal, but destroying and hiding data, conspiring to evade government demands for information, and sabotaging the careers of colleagues who disagree or just question the methodology is not? This is a movement in the middle of an epic meltdown. Pop some low-carbon popcorn and enjoy the show.