Washington — It’s bitter cold outside the Capitol this morning, but progressive Democrats are keeping warm . . . by dressing up.
A group of about 50 green-movement types are huddling near the House steps, led by Rep. Ed Markey (D., Mass.), the outgoing chairman of the House’s (just nixed) global-warming committee. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a number of the attending liberal activists (though no members) are clad in polar bear and penguin garb. “Iconic animals,” Markey beamed.
In a short speech, Markey praised former president Dwight Eisenhower for his attention to the arctic. Markey then urged his colleagues to designate ANWR a “national monument” in order to protect the site from nefarious corporate and oil interests. “There is no such thing as a tragic wind spill,” Markey lamented as he criticized the perils of drilling.
Also shivering in the cold: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D., Ohio), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D., Ariz.), and Rep. Betty McCollum (D., Minn.).