The new Senator from Hawaii, Brian Schatz, is promising to do something about one of America’s most intractable issues: New Hawaii Senator Pledges to Tackle Climate Change.

Sen. Schatz is about to find out how determined and irrational the climate change denial movement is in Washington DC, but he has our support. Give ‘em hell, Senator.

The replacement for the late Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye (D) said Wednesday that climate change is at the top of his legislative agenda.

“For me, personally, I believe global climate change is real and it is the most urgent challenge of our generation,” Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz (D), whom Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) tapped for the seat, said in brief comments Wednesday.

Schatz is expected to be sworn in Thursday afternoon. He will serve until 2014, and plans to run for the special election to fill the remaining two years of Inouye’s term. Schatz also said he would run for a full term in 2016.

Schatz will serve with incoming Sen. Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who is replacing retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii).

Hirono and Schatz likely will both champion climate change.

(The original video is here.)

California Senator Dianne Feinstein is planning to introduce a bill in January that would ban the sale of military-style assault weapons, and this has driven the right wing nuts (a short drive) — because Feinstein’s bill also covers semi-automatic handguns.

As the horror of the Newtown massacre begins to get less immediate, the right wing blogs and news sites are predictably starting to push back against any effort to get between them and the object of their affections, firearms.

For example, Drudge Report skips Go, goes directly to Crazy, linking to Feinstein’s site three times on his front page, including the all-caps screaming headline: “CIVIL WAR: SENATE TO GO FOR HANDGUNS!”

Drudge’s ludicrous headline has a picture of an antique revolver, which would not be prohibited under Feinstein’s bill; the bill specifically applies only to military-style semi-automatic weapons.

The Breitbrats are busily attacking Feinstein as well, with another paranoid article warning that this is only the beginning of the true liberal plan, which is to GRAB ALL THE GUNZ: SEN. FEINSTEIN’S ‘ASSAULT WEAPON’ BAN REALLY HANDGUN BAN!

…an even bigger problem lurks — right now the focus is only on “assault weapons” and semi-auto handguns, however, as soon as a public crime is committed with a double-action revolver, Feinstein and Co. will try to add those to the list as well.

The bottom line: If we are foolish enough to embrace a ban on any weapon in the coming Congress then we are unwittingly embracing a ban on every weapon.

The Democrats cannot be trusted with our freedoms, and they will politicize every tragedy to accomplish their ends.

That’s right, Democrats hate freedom and want to take away all the guns! We can’t give an inch, people, or it’s game over!

DERP

Jim Hoft, Dumbest Man on the Internet, provides a little inadvertent humor as he hammers away at the same line, treating us to the spectacle of the most illiterate blogger on the web bashing Sen. Feinstein for misspelling a word: Democrats Announce Plans to Go After Handguns.

More… Did anyone else notice the good senator used the word “devises” when she meant “devices”? If she’s going to take away our guns is it too much to ask that she use the correct words?

(The typo is now corrected on Feinstein’s site.)

Power Line’s John Hinderaker is also warning that the Democratic Party is COMING FOR THE GUNZ: Democrats Seek the Holy Grail of Gun Control.

For the reasons noted, some clarification is required before we can understand the full scope of Feinstein’s proposal. It is hard to say, at this point, whether it is merely grandstanding by Feinstein that will soon be forgotten, or whether it represents the first shot in an all-out war against gun owners (i.e., red America) by the Democratic Party.

The Daily Caller has a special “ALERT!” Alert: Sen. Diane Feinstein Releases Gun Ban Summary for 2013.

The Blaze is also stoking the fears of gun-lovers: Sen. Feinstein Posts Proposed ‘Assault Weapons’ Legislation — and It Includes Provisions on Handguns and ‘Grandfathered’ Weapons.

You can find the very same talking points being parroted at virtually every right wing blog and news site today; the ones that aren’t writing about it yet soon will be.

Another Republican politician who says one thing in public and does another thing in private, and will suffer no political consequences because of the IOKIYAR principle: Report: Mike Crapo Drank Vodka Shots.

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) drank multiple vodka shots before he was arrested for driving under the influence early Sunday morning in Alexandria, according to public court documents.

Crapo, 61, has a court date set for Jan. 4, according to news reports. Police say Crapo made a U-turn at a red light and while he was being cited for a traffic violation, the officer smelled alcohol, and noticed bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. He failed sobriety tests. Police say he had a .110 BAC, significantly above the Virginia legal driving limit of .08.

In an apology issued Sunday, Crapo said in a public statement: “I am deeply sorry for the actions that resulted in this circumstance. I made a mistake for which I apologize to my family, my Idaho constituents and any others who have put their trust in me. I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter.”

Crapo has a reputation as a “squeaky clean” right wing Mormon, who boasted publicly that he abstains from alcohol.