It probably won't be as exciting as the Ferguson grand jury decision - although, if it goes badly for Dr Mann, we could well see enraged mobs of climate scientists rampaging through downtown Washington hurling tree rings through convenience-store windows. However, on Tuesday morning, I'll be at the DC Court of Appeals to hear oral arguments between Nobel Fauxreate Michael E Mann and my co-defendants National Review, Rand Simberg and the Competitive Enterprise Institute. This morning I gave an interview about the case to The Daily Caller. I was a wee bit jet-lagged when I spoke to Betsy Rothstein, and I do hope my tongue didn't run away with me:
"This is what is so appalling about it," said the journalist, who makes endless fun of the American legal system in a routine better fit for open mic night at a comedy club...
Oh, God, it's not that bad, is it? Actually, for the most part, I was deadly serious, although Betsy seemed to find it a hoot:
The journalist actually prefers dueling to the sludge of court. "I'm tired of this phony pseudo legal action' he says. "I'm in favor of reintroducing dueling, like Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. I think this system is ridiculous. He's a political figure. He appeared in the campaign ads for Terry McAuliffe for his race for the governor of of Virginia."
And with that, he compared Mann's climate stance to Islam.
On a more serious note...
Wait a minute, my comparison between the mullahs and the Mannatollahs was serious. So was my preference for dueling over multi-year libel suits. As to this next suggestion, who can tell?
"I thought very carefully about the new lawyers I wanted," he said, later adding, "I am represented by counsel, but I don't entirely rule out cross-examining Michael Mann for the sheer entertainment value. I have to think of the movie deal down the road."
Shooting the breeze with Betsy was a fun start to the day. You can read the full interview here. The characterization of the case as a "legal clusterf**k" is Betsy's description, not mine, but I'm not minded to disagree with it.
~Just ahead of court, I'll be swinging by WMAL's Mornings on the Mall with Brian and Larry at 8am Eastern, and, shortly after the proceedings, I'll be joining Mary Kissel on The Wall Street Journal's Opinion Report at 1pm. A live stream of the oral arguments is available here starting at 9:30am Eastern Time.
~By the way, many people think that, instead of running around town giving interviews to Betsy Rothstein et al, you should just clam up when you're mired in a serious legal matter. Here, for example, is Bill Cosby being interviewed by Scott Simon for NPR's Weekend Edition:
SCOTT SIMON: "This question gives me no pleasure, Mr. Cosby, but there have been serious allegations raised about you in recent days."
BILL COSBY: [SILENCE]
SIMON: "You're shaking your head no. I'm in the news business. I have to ask the question. Do you have any response to those charges?"
COSBY: [SILENCE]
SIMON: "Shaking your head no. There are people who love you who might like to hear from you about this. I want to give you the chance."
COSBY: [SILENCE]
As it happens, Scott Simon and I will be chewing the fat live on stage at an event presented by the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut on December 8th. I've no idea what Scott will want to ask me, but I'll be impressed if any of the questions necessitate the response:
MARK STEYN: [SILENCE]
But you never know.
Otherwise, it should be a fun night - Monday December 8th, starting at 7pm. You can get more info and reserve tickets here.
