In 1997 Pres. Clinton met with 'overwhelmingly white' tv weatherpersons hoping they'd influence public opinion in favor of giving taxpayer dollars to millionaires and billionaires in the climate scare industry. Weathermen 'appreciated being treated as something other than airheads,' said Clinton Press Sec.-NY Times

"The assembled broadcasters, who were overwhelmingly white, male and shorter than they appear on television."...

10/2/1997, "Clinton Nudges TV Forecasters On Warming," NY Times, James Bennet

"It was cloudy and cool outside the north portico of the White House this morning....

Mr. Clinton invited more than 100 national and local television forecasters to the White House today for a chat with him and Vice President Al Gore and for briefings on climate change from Government experts.

The Administration hopes that the forecasters will influence public opinion on climate change more than the journalists on the evening news; Clinton aides complain that they pay scant attention to the issue.

''You, just in the way you comment on the events that you cover, may have a real effect on the American people,'' Mr. Clinton said this afternoon to 

the assembled broadcasters, 

who were overwhelmingly white, 

male and shorter than they appear on television.

Playing host to the nation's television weather forecasters was the most innovative step in a White House campaign to rally public support for new binding global targets for restricting greenhouse gases....

''I don't ask for you to advocate or do anything outside of whatever your own convictions are,'' Mr. Clinton said this afternoon, as the skies cleared and the East Room brightened. ''But I do think it's very important, since you have more influence than anybody does on how the American people think about this, that at least you know what you believe and how you think we should proceed.''...

Some were careful to distance themselves from the White House's arguments.

Global warming is ''a theory that is widely accepted, but it's still under debate in the scientific community,'' Cecily Tynan told viewers of WPVI in Philadelphia. ''Judging by the P.R. event that was orchestrated here, it's certainly become a very hot topic in the Clinton Administration.''

But other forecasters confessed to their viewers that they were thrilled to be there. ''To be honest with you, I'm just like a little kid,'' said Bob Kovachick of WNYT in Albany. After the camera stopped rolling, Mr. Kovachick, like many of the other meteorologists, said that he intended to return to the subject of global warming in broadcasts later tonight and on Thursday....

Craig Allen, the CBS morning weatherman, said he felt ''absolutely honored'' to be invited to the day's session....

Calling the day a success, Michael D. McCurry, the White House press secretary, said that the weathermen ''appreciated being treated as something other than airheads.'''
 
 Mr. Clinton, who is planning to hold a conference on climate change at Georgetown University on Monday, is not expected to reveal his proposed emissions targets for another two or three weeks....

''We really haven't heard what it is they expect us to give up or change in our habits,'' Mr. Gaidica said. ''I mean questions as simple as can we use the barbecue today or can we use the Waverunner anymore.''"...via Rush Limbaugh





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