Apparently, someone's in a tizzy over *LE GASP* the temperature of President Obama's office! He supposedly has it set to a sweltering 77 degrees, which seems to be the temperature at which racist, far-right wingnuts catch fire and explode into flaming clouds of self-righteous demagoguery.
It’s hard to crusade for “green” this and “green” that with the thermostat at 77 degrees, don’t you think. I predict Mrs. Obama will be shopping ASAP for some Jimmy Carter-style cardigans to rectify Obama’s eco-hypocrisy.
(Bold emphasis mine, of course.)
Anyway, to address the point...
No, Ms. Malkin, it really isn't hard to "crusade for 'green' this and 'green' that" in this situation. There's a reason for this, but you being who you are... I'm really not surprised at all that you're so ill-informed.
You see, the White House was "Greened" all the way back during the Clinton Administration (shocking, I know.) Instead of electric or gas heat, the building is heated with hot water coils, a more efficient process known as "steam heating." The White House is also zoned - which means that any given room can have its temperature raised or lowered depending on the tastes of the occupant(s,) without adversely effecting the overall efficiency of the system. One might wish that every home in the United States were so equipped. Imagine the savings!
It was also Bush Administration policy, in a move to make things still more efficient, to have the internal temperature of the WH set at a consistent 74-78 degrees, dependent upon the external temperature and humidity.
So, ultimately, if President Obama wants his office to be 72 degrees, or 75 degrees, or 77, 80, or 100 degrees... he can. It won't effect the "greenness" of the White House one bit, and it sure as hell doesn't make him a "hypocrite."
Not that that will stop sore losers, racists, hatemongers, or any combination of the above from bitching and moaning when they really have absolutely nothing to complain about.
(Though now I am left wondering... What's the temperature of your office, Ms. Malkin?)
