Source:Washington Post (Thanks to Jane for sending this)
Thursday, June 6, 2002; Page C03
Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) may have
stuck his nose into a hornet's nest yesterday
with his announcement that he's boycotting
today's Senate Environment and Public Works
Clean Air Subcomittee hearing because
Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson is on the
witness list. Voinovich said of Richardson's
appearance at the hearing on the impact of
coal-mining mountaintop removal on water
quality: "It's just a joke to think that this witness
can provide members of the United States
Senate with information on important geological
and water quality issues."
The 30-year-old rock star, phoning in on his
way to Washington, answered the senator with
a blistering tirade. "It's pretty sad. I am
personally insulted. I hope I see him tomorrow.
I would like to have a discussion with him, man
to man. It's insulting for someone to assume
ignorance of the issue because of my
occupation. I'm an educated human being. I am
a man of 30 years. I probably know more
about the issue than he does. I have every right to be at tomorrow's hearing."
Richardson seethed: "My home state is Kentucky. I was born in Lexington and raised on the edge of
the Daniel Boone Forest. I have taken two flights over the coal fields in Kentucky, West Virginia and
Tennessee, and I have seen first-hand the damage of mountaintop removal. I have seen the lakes of coal
sludge that sometimes burst open without warning. I have friends and family that live in the Appalachian
Mountains. This is a very important issue to me."
Senator, may we suggest a helmet?