GOP Sen. Suggests MSNBC Is Conspiring With White House, Pro-Obama Group

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) thinks something's up between Organizing for Action, President BarackObama's former campaign operation, and MSNBC.

On Wednesday, Inhofe sent letters to the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Council on Environmental Quality, questioning whether either entity is coordinating with OFA to push Obama's climate change agenda.

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) suggests MSNBC, White House, pro-Obama group are conspiring on President Barack Obama's climate change agenda. (AP/Sue Ogrocki)

A release sent out by Inhofe's office notes that earlier this week OFA published a list of Republican "climate change deniers" while the White House had two "environmental advocacy events in Providence, RI and Hartford, Conn."

The "I Will Act On Climate" Bus at an event in Lincoln, Neb. (Photo: Lincoln Journal Star)

The events in question are part of the "I Will Act On Climate Change" campaign which has been in effect since June. It features a bus tour with stops that host Democratic congressmen and members of the Obama administration.

"According to the Hatch Act, federal employees in the executive branch, except certain designated officials such as the President or Vice President, are prohibited from engaging in political campaign activities," the release says.

Also in the release, Inhofe suggests MSNBC is in on the agenda: "I also find it quite interesting that to end this week of coincidental events on climate change alarmism, certain liberal media is showing a climate change special with reportedly no interviews from those challenging the theory," Inhofe says in the release. "There seems to be a coincidental coordination between the White House, the President’s campaign, and the liberal media that is weaving a false and potentially harmful narrative of alarmism."

The "liberal media" Inhofe is referring to is MSNBC, as confirmed to TheBlaze by his spokeswoman. An MSNBC special, “The Politics of Power” by Chris Hayes, airs Friday. It's a look at the effects of climate change and those who deny it is occurring, such as Inhofe.

The Hayes special apparently doesn't feature any dissenting voices. MSNBC did not return request for comment to confirm. Inhofe's spokeswoman said she did not "recall" any request by MSNBC for the senator to participate in show.

Update: Inhofe's spokeswoman followed up by email to say she went through her emails and saw no trace of Inhofe being invited to participate in the MSNBC special. She said it is possible, however, that a press secretary was contacted, but that he is currently on vacation.

Follow Eddie Scarry on Twitter @eScarry