Does Henry Waxman Know the Meaning of the Word Chutzpah?

Newt Gingrich also testified on the climate change bill today. How Newt wrangled that I have no idea, but here's what he said:

WASHINGTON (AP)—Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says a Democratic proposal to limit global warming pollution will "punish the American people" with higher energy costs and lost jobs.

Gingrich appeared before a House subcommittee writing a broad energy and climate bill aimed at cutting greenhouse gases by 80 percent by mid-century.

Gingrich, a leading Republican voice who has indicated he may seek the presidency in 2012, criticized the Democrats' cap-and-trade climate proposal. He called it "an energy tax" that will increase Americans' cost of living and kill jobs.

While I'm not much of a Newt fan, I do think he's right about raising energy costs and costing jobs. Just as an aside, why are politicians testifying on this? Do they have some expertise on this topic? Were all the real scientists busy today?

Henry Waxman's response is the best example of chutzpah I've seen in a long time:

Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California accused Gingrich of trying to scare people into opposing action on climate change. Waxman argued the bill is designed to contain energy cost increases.

Are you fricking kidding me?!!! Al Gore has spent his entire career trying to scare the shit out of people about global warming - and doing a damn fine job of it - but Gingrich is the one trying to scare people? The entire global warming industry is based on scaring the shit out of people who don't have the capacity to comprehend the results at the local science fair, but it's the skeptics who are guilty of scaring people? Chutzpah in the extreme.