The Athens Banner-Herald has a subtle but telling story about the Rep. Paul Broun, who is a climate denier, and those in his region who are worried about how climate change is already affecting them. The piece presents quite the contrast:

At the same time as Broun was speaking to constituents at a town hall meeting in Oglethorpe County, fishermen, conservationists, ecologists and environmental activists were meeting at the University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology to promote the idea of manmade climate change and talk about how to reverse the trend.

Broun, who became chairman of the Science, Space and Technology Committee’s subcommittee on investigation and oversight when Republicans took control of the House last month, said he plans to use hearings to show that manmade climate change is not settled science.

“We’re going to get all voices heard about the science of climate,” Broun said. “Right now the (Obama) administration turns a blind ear and eye to opposing views.”

The effects of manmade climate change are already apparent, said Oconee County activist Rich Rusk, who, like Broun, is a member of the fishing group Trout Unlimited.

“They’re already here, and they’ll be increasing,” Rusk said. “I suspect many people who are skeptical about climate change will live long enough to see the impacts and know how wrong they’ve been.”

Well, I don’t know that they’ll admit how wrong they’ve been, but the point is a good one. It’s the same story I just pointed out with Ralph Hall of Texas. They go to DC and fight the science, but doing so is not necessarily in the best interest of their constituents…