Newest GOP Insanity: Obama Renamed Mt. McKinley to Wage War Against White

The President exercised his executive power to change Mount McKinley-named for President William McKinley in 1917-back to its native moniker, Denali. The tribes to the south of the mountain have names for it that translate to a big mountain, and the ones to the north have names for the peak that translate to the high one or the tall one.

Jansing pointed out that the administration has said in a video, released by the White House prior to Obama’s official trip to Alaska, that the current leases have the strongest protections in them of any leases the US has had. And he led this nation to prosperity and victory in the Spanish-American War as the 25th President of the United States.

The state of Alaska formally sought the name change in 1975, but the Board of Geographic Names didn’t act on the request because Ohio members of Congress regularly introduced bills to keep McKinley’s name on the mountain.

In another presidential photo-op brimming with theatrical potential, Obama stood on the bow of a tour boat in Resurrection Bay in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, staring out at the serene waters and lush mountain vistas in both directions.

GWEN IFILL: Mr. Obama spoke Monday evening at a climate summit in Anchorage, where he also warned of the consequences of inaction.

Two weeks ago, the Obama Administration approved final permits for offshore drilling in Alaska for Royal Dutch Shell.

“The oil is a bridge fuel, and we have plenty of it up north”, the governor said.

Sadly for the President’s play acting, though, the National Park Service previously reported that Exit Glacier has been exiting since at least the early 1800s – before the Industrial Revolution even got underway. Obama set that target as the US commitment to a major global climate treaty to be finalized in December, and has urged fellow leaders to make similarly ambitious pledges as works to secure a cornerstone of his environmental legacy. Setting the stage on Sunday night, Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters in Alaska that climate change skeptics won’t be remembered kindly.

“One of the things I’ll do while I’m in Alaska is to convene with other nations to meet this threat”, Obama said. The sprawling expanse of ice is retreating, and environmentalists cite it as a dramatic sign of warming temperatures. He’s also scheduled to visit Dillingham to learn about the impact of climate change on fisheries.