Tom Fucoloro of Seattle Bike Blog calls Representative Ed Orcutt out on his incredibly obtuse thinking when it comes to cycling:

Representative Ed Orcutt (R – Kalama) does not think bicycling is environmentally friendly because the activity causes cyclists to have “an increased heart rate and respiration.”

You can’t make this stuff up. Also:

“You would be giving off more CO2 if you are riding a bike than driving in a car,” he said. However, he said he had not “done any analysis” of the difference in CO2 from a person on a bike compared to the engine of a car (others have).

“You can’t just say that there’s no pollution as a result of riding a bicycle.”

Similarly, you can’t just say Representative Orcutt is not a moron as a result of these comments.

Luckily, he later apologized via email and recognized how ridiculous his argument was.

Still, an apology is certainly better than nothing, but that shouldn’t be the end of it. This story clearly demonstrates the lengths many politicians will go to in order to further their political agenda. The fact that elected State Representatives like Mr. Orcutt can make outrageously ignorant comments and then shrug them off as if nothing happened just goes to show how little respect they have for their voters.

Via Joseph Rooks.