…and this is a 
The Minnesota Senate's loudest voice against climate change, it's chief denialist, is a Republican (of course) named Michael Jungbauer.
Sen. Jungbauer is fond of making pronouncements from on high regarding the scientific weakness of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He takes positions in direct opposition to 98 percent of published and peer-reviewed climate, atmospheric scientists and glaciologists. But the water and sewer treatment specialist by day is, apparently, quite knowledgeable on all manner of science. It certainly appears to be. He uses big words and cites studies in his lectures.
Now here is the amusing thing. Jungbauer attended Moody Bible College, Anoka Ramsey Community College, and Metropolitan State University (nothing wrong with the latter two, but the first is a bit dicey). He has not even completed his bachelor's degree; he's kind of a flaky dilettante. So, no credibility there.
He also claims to be an ordained minister, but but again, he's a failure — he hasn't even completed the course work at Moody Bible College. Instead — are you ready for this? — his sole academic credential is…
The truth is that Jungbauer was ordained by Christian Motor Sports International out of Gilbert, Ariz. His Senate biography says the organization provides "chapel services, pastoral care, outreach and Christian fellowship at car races, car shows, cruise-ins and tractor pulls."
Clearly, he's nothing but a shill in the pockets of the Tractor Pull industry.
Politics
Environment
Comments
Posted by: peicurmudgeon
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June 18, 2011 12:28 PM
Tractor Pullers would never resort to such tactics.
Posted by: Zeno
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June 18, 2011 12:28 PM
Careful there, PZ! Tractor pulls are sacred unto my people.
Posted by: Chaos Cryptic
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June 18, 2011 12:32 PM
Its. *twitch*
Sorry.
Christian fellowship at tractor pulls? What, exactly, does that look like? Is that a euphemism for pamphleting and proselytizing?
Posted by: Dhorvath, OM
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June 18, 2011 12:32 PM
Clearly tractor pulling owes more to divine influence than to science, it's not like there is any technology involved.
Posted by: StevoR
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June 18, 2011 12:33 PM
Aww .. dammit! I love motor racing. ;-(
Posted by: Glen Davidson
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June 18, 2011 12:35 PM
Damn libruls want to take away our tractor pulls in the name of global warming.
Glen Davidson
Posted by: hznfrst
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June 18, 2011 12:36 PM
This wanker is pulling on more than just tractors.
Posted by: StevoR
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June 18, 2011 12:40 PM
Memo to would be climage contrarians here - pleas watch these :
http://greenfyre.wordpress.com/climate-denial-crock-of-the-week/#sense
Before posting here.
Because chances are whatever old canard you have to offer here this guy has debunked it already.
Posted by: StevoR
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June 18, 2011 12:42 PM
Argh! Typos.
"climate" contrarians" & "please" are the words I had in mind, natch. Sorry. Mea culpa.
Posted by: Moggie
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June 18, 2011 1:05 PM
"Christian Motor Sports International"?
Why must Christians create parallel, Christian versions of everything? Who on earth goes to a tractor pull and thinks "ok, this is kinda fun, I guess, but it really needs more Jesus"?
Posted by: serendipitydawg
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June 18, 2011 1:24 PM
I was ordained by the Universal Church Triumphant of the Apathetic Agnostic.
Anyone think that makes me qualified for anything?
No, me neither. It did piss a godbot off at work though, especially the literature on the table in the canteen.
Posted by: Anaximanchild
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June 18, 2011 1:28 PM
As an ARCC faculty member, I am going to recommend that we use your endorsement in our advertising ...
"Anoka-Ramsey Community College ... PZ Myers says there's nothing wrong with us!"
;)
Posted by: Moggie
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June 18, 2011 1:32 PM
"Not as dicey as a bible college".
Posted by: HappiestSadist
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June 18, 2011 1:47 PM
There's a Christian version of everything because they want all the fun of being a normal, sinful person, but want to also feel all special and chosen and shit.
Also, you don't know bad until you've heard Christian emo.
Posted by: ithonicfury
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June 18, 2011 1:59 PM
Christian Motor Sports huh, Top Gear has already proven the fastest religion is Rasta.
Posted by: Lynna, OM
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June 18, 2011 2:26 PM
Michael Jungbauer is not directly shilling for the mighty Tractor Pull industry, but he is shilling for them indirectly (as mighty users of gasoline) via shilling for the oil and gas industries.
He'll also tell you, straight up, that he's smarter than all the climatologists put together.
Do you smell the Koch brothers here? Source in "City Pages"I wonder if any of these lackbrains would have successful careers in politics without funding from oil companies and oil/gas billionaires.
Posted by: Zeno
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June 18, 2011 2:27 PM
High praise indeed. The students should come flocking in!
Posted by: hyoid
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June 18, 2011 3:10 PM
He sounds exactly like Ken Hammbone. Almost exact tone and meter.
Posted by: evilDoug
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June 18, 2011 3:22 PM
From Moody Bible Institute site (emphasis mine, semicolons theirs):
(and writing skills adequate to assure a grade of C at 8th grade level)Repair and maintenance of the flying nun?!
Posted by: https://me.yahoo.com/a/O.jullMj0I2VvJaxMMVeNKSfOPf73voLSxJAe9PdlOWwi8Y-#258ec
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June 18, 2011 3:39 PM
my guess is the missionary aviation tech degree is a pilots licensee and small engine fixed wing maintenance so the graduate can go off into the wilds and convert the "poor native heathen" in the third world in the "glories of jebus".
or introduce modern western corruption and perversion (ie sin)
uncle frogy
Posted by: Cerberus, unnatural product of en-OMnomnom-ification
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June 18, 2011 3:57 PM
Moggie @10
It's about training the community to avoid any contact with reality that would disprove their worldviews.
If everything is Christian (insert activity here)ing and it's a sin to go outside the community when a holy alternative exists, then you don't risk running into gay people acting human, good people who don't share your religious beliefs, the worth of public institutions, and so on.
All you have experienced is Evangelical culture, so you're more open to the suggestions of your pastor that the UN is the home of the antichrist, gay people are barely more than monsters, public institutions are filled with black people stealing white people's money, and that outside of the Village is a monster who'll kill you instantly if you ever leave.
It's the desperate attempt to keep the kids so smothered in Christian culture that they won't flee at the first sign of what an immoral, life-destroying misery the religion is.
It's also open-season for grifters. A huge amount of scam artists get their start in Evangelical "Christian Xing" type activities, because that group is trained to see anyone in the in-group as good and anyone outside as bad and are trained in selling products (religion) on a constant basis. So, put on the evangelical mannerisms, hate the right people, and they line up not only to buy snake oil, but take out a second mortgage so they can sell the snake oil for you and give you the profits for it.
Posted by: rather be fishing
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June 18, 2011 4:38 PM
"Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) in Missionary Aviation Technology."???
Is that where you become a member of the mile-high club in the missionary position?
Posted by: ralph day
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June 18, 2011 4:48 PM
Is that where you become a member of the mile-high club in the missionary position?
Must be in a cargo plane...C172 too small,
Ralph
Posted by: Evomonkey
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June 18, 2011 5:10 PM
Whenever I read or hear about I idiots like this, I find it so discouraging. I've been looking for a job in teaching or research for the past six months. It amazes me how idiots like this find good jobs or get elected to good paying positions in gov't.
The stupid and the rich, get richer.
Posted by: MikeD
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June 18, 2011 5:29 PM
Don't forget the monster-truck guys, too, PZ. They need fellowship
from a guy like this as well.
Posted by: TBP
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June 18, 2011 5:50 PM
@#20: Got it in one. As someone with missionary in-laws (I hide my head in shame), I can verify that's exactly what "Mission Aviation Technology" is.
Posted by: Dr. I. Needtob Athe
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June 18, 2011 5:55 PM
The high-performance tractors they use in those tractor pulls are ideal for pulling a science denier's head out of his ass.
Posted by: ckitching
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June 18, 2011 6:31 PM
I assume he must've inherited his money. No one who works for a living fails out of three colleges. Most people are completely broke after failing out of one.
Posted by: joed
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June 18, 2011 6:39 PM
Court sentences dog to death by stoning
A JERUSALEM rabbinical court has condemned to death by stoning a dog it suspects is the reincarnation of a secular lawyer who insulted the court's judges 20 years ago.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/court-sentences-dog-to-death-by-stoning/story-e6frf7jx-1226077489097
Posted by: SnapDragon
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June 18, 2011 7:12 PM
Since the 'argument from authority' is a fallacious means of trying to substantiate something, undermining someone's authority is an equally fallacious means of arguing against what they said.
(Not that Sen. Jungbauer's arguments are valid, of course, but that's not the point. What's important is not resorting to the same fallacious tactics that 'they' do.)
Posted by: Brother Ogvorbis, Emperor of Steam and Fire, Penseur Extrémistes
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June 18, 2011 7:20 PM
I went to school with some when I was in high school down in Maryland.
Posted by: rrlane
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June 18, 2011 7:31 PM
After reading this guy's credentials, I think it's official. We're all living in a Kurt Vonnegut novel.
Posted by: Jim_MN
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June 18, 2011 7:35 PM
Cut Senator Jungbauer a little slack. He was bitten by a bat in 2009 (and was treated for rabies), lost a bid for Minnesota Governor in 2010, and suffered a head injury after being hit by a car while jogging in 2011.
Each of the three events may have caused a little neurological damage.
Posted by: Sunder
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June 18, 2011 7:37 PM
Did this story remind anybody else of Michael "Heckuva job Brownie" and his sterling qualifications to lead FEMA?
Posted by: chigau (◦_◦)
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June 18, 2011 8:38 PM
#33 Jim_MN
You may be correct.Posted by: juliaem
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June 18, 2011 10:11 PM
My sister attended (and is even trying to return to) Moody Bible Institute--which is, I assume, the same thing as you've mentioned. Load of crackpots there. If you're looking to pass the time, go to their website and browse the student code of conduct!
Posted by: AKron
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June 18, 2011 10:42 PM
Come on PZ you're just making all this stuff. I don't know how you managed to make up that video of Perry, but NOBODY is that Ummm.... fucktardish.
Are you getting paid by the Onion. You are, aren't you?
If you're not we're all fucked.
Posted by: DLC
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June 19, 2011 1:23 AM
Proof that Dunning-Kruger effect is more prevalent in political circles ?
Posted by: John Morales
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June 19, 2011 1:34 AM
SnapDragon:
Close, but no cigar.
(Change 'Since' to 'When' and you'll be there)
Posted by: Aquaria
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June 19, 2011 3:28 AM
Since the 'argument from authority' is a fallacious means of trying to substantiate something, undermining someone's authority is an equally fallacious means of arguing against what they said.
It's okay to question his credentials when he tries to use them to make himself into an authority.
Do keep up.
Posted by: Anubis Bloodsin the third
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June 19, 2011 6:15 AM
Evomonkey @24
Well the rich certainly...the stupid think they are rich but actually are the poor.
The rich will use and abuse the insane stupid these lackeys spout for as long as it is convenient....then deep six them like the sacks of stinking detritus that they are but only after they have served some divine purpose of the rich.
The rich tend to adapt to the times and will use any resource that can be bribed, bought, coerced, threatened to ensure their own well being.
The oil industry in particular fear from their tippy toes to their trendily dyed hair follicles about becoming as relevant and loved as the tobacco industry in culture...that thought makes them shit their shiny Armani suits from mid-ranked manager to head honcho.
They know the are not past lying to a judge about the efficacy or the potential drawbacks of their product on air quality and the eco-system.
They are well versed in greasing various sweaty little palms with lucre when it suits, they are in cahoots with a dozen regimes around the world where human rights are not exactly a priority, a situation Oil companies tend to exploit.
But it makes it all legit when elected officials regurgitate the party line...makes it seem as independent 'analysis'.
But to be barely tolerated and despised even beyond hatred...like religion or Justin Bieber.
Sometimes hell is indeed on earth!
And the Oil bunnies are not totally immune from negative vibes man!...personal bank accounts help, but even so!
But as long as they can delay progress and poo poo the ultimate conclusion of their product driven orgy of consumerism, by shill, lie, boast and bribe they will prosper but eventually reveal their true identity to the very sheeple that avidly guzzle the product that really consider the product their very own holy grail and only theirs by right of some spurious sky daddy!
Anyone calling them out for the over indulgence is spoiling the fun and the self bestowed rights of those same consumers to fossil fuel.
Taking away the candy that rots the young 'uns toothypegs usually engenders a tantrum or two!
When that tantrum is backed by slush funds, glove puppetry and secret deals...it becomes a national imperative to prolong the status quo apparently!
But the cloaks of deception slip ever more precariously, folks are beginning to notice the discordant messaging.
Years of bloated ego and privilege has rendered the industry dull, petulant, reckless, stagnant and bellicose.
A veritable anathema to humanity they make blunders that are truly suicidal...like BP's Hayward 'wanting his life back'...when at least eleven men and countless marine denizens let alone coastal residents will probably never have for many years if ever.
Staggering in the crass arrogance of a man unsuited for his environment...maybe because 'environment' is something the oil industry do not give priority towards, it is an alien term.
Dickheads like Jungbauer will accept the 'Oily' shilling...because they have little integrity themselves and fewer scruples, added to the lamentable bias and self-indulgent ignorance on a scale to stagger a rusty coffin nail, they are indeed a gift from some cosmic overlord unto the Oil industry.
But other dickheads with less brain then 'Paddington' on a bad day voted these clowns into a position to foist irreparable damage on the world and unto people.
Fucktards...liars...charlatans...pompous wastes of air will always be with us, that is a given, they may even be criminal with an eye on a main chance....
But what will sink us all is the utter miserable stupidity at the ballot box!
Posted by: Moggie
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June 19, 2011 6:30 AM
#33:
So he says. I think he's just going for the Twilight vote.
Posted by: Old Yippie
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June 19, 2011 8:32 AM
Was it a radioactive bat? Did it give him special powers, like the radioactive spider did for Spiderman?
Posted by: sizzzzlerz
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June 19, 2011 9:26 AM
Who says you need some fancy, east coast elite-est college degree to weigh in on the scientific controversies of this modern day and age? Study at one of the top-notch Tractor Pull Jesus schools is more than enough.
Posted by: Dr. Strabismus (WGP) of Utrecht
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June 19, 2011 10:55 AM
#30, #39, #40
The "argument from authority" has a bad rap. Sure, it's not perfect, but very often we have nothing better.
I take pills my doctor prescribes, not because I necessarily understand exactly what they do (though I make an effort) but mainly because of the postnominal "MD" after his name.
Likewise, like the old Sam Cooke song I "don't know much climatology" (or something like that) but I do know that 98% of climatologists say that global warming is real, man-made, and we'd better do something about it tout de suite (that was the French I took) or else. I also know that the remaining 2% of climatologist in the denial faction are either inveterate cranks or employed by the oil and coal industries. I think accepting the arg. from auth. makes good sense here too.
Posted by: Greta Christina
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June 19, 2011 2:03 PM
I'm reminded of what Hank Hill said about Christian rock. They're not making Christianity better. They're making motor sports worse.
Posted by: Rorschach
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June 19, 2011 2:15 PM
The informal logical fallacy of appeal to authority states that an argument might be weak or hard to defend when the conclusion is based on premises that are assumed true because of something said by a person of presumed authority. There are instances where it is reasonable to accept the opinion of an authority, that's why this type of argument is not always fallacious per se.
But in the example of the doctor given above, it would be outright foolish to take the pills prescribed to you just because a medical person has an MD after his or her name. You want to be taking those pills because it has been explained to you what your condition is and how these pills might help to improve it. The example you give is in fact a classic for a fallacious action based on an argument from authority.
Posted by: Dan L.
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June 19, 2011 4:36 PM
Umm...no. Awkward, yes; impossible, no. Seat all the way back, doggie-style, seated position.
Not the best venue for moving the Earth, but it earns the merit badge.
Posted by: Dan L.
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June 19, 2011 4:56 PM
But one need not demand advanced courses in diagnostic internal medicine before filling the prescription.
In the case of climate science, the basics are accessible to any layman with a good freshman understanding of the fundamental thermodynamics laws. That is enough read, understand and accept what the NRC or the Royal Society have to say on the subject without investing in a supplementary post-grad program. At some point, informed assent must be granted.
Posted by: JNorris
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June 19, 2011 8:04 PM
Moody Bible Institute: a Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) in Missionary Aviation Technology.
Holy Flying Dildo!!
Posted by: Don
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June 20, 2011 12:15 PM
As Bill Maher said, "Yee haw Jesus take the wheel!"