Now, having been caught lying several times to Northeast Oklahoma residents about cleaning up a dangerous Superfund site that he doesn't want cleaned up because it will cost his mining friends some coin, Inhofe has the nerve to accuse people who tell the truth about the environment of lying. And, in typical Inhofe fashion, he can't even just accuse them of lying: he wants them prosecuted for disagreeing with his spin.

TULSA, Okla. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe claims a newspaper advertisement criticizing President Bush on the environment violates state law by seeking donations through false claims.

Inhofe, R-Okla., on Wednesday asked state prosecutors to investigate the ad sponsored by MoveOn.org and the Natural Resources Defense Council. It has appeared in The New York Times.

"We take this very seriously in Oklahoma, and at least 40 other states have just as strict statutes against soliciting contributions by misleading advertising," Inhofe told a Tulsa newspaper.

Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, said the ad's claim that the president's proposal would weaken mercury emissions from power plants is "completely false."

The defense council dismissed Inhofe's assertion as mischaracterizing the ad.

"The fact is the president's proposal would weaken controls for mercury compared with what the law requires EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency) to do," said Karen Wayland, the group's legislative director. "The real issue is, mercury is a hazardous neurotoxin and should be controlled as one."

MoveOn.org is a liberal organization formed by two computer entrepreneurs during the impeachment of former President Clinton. The group has raised millions of dollars to support liberal candidates this year. The Republican National Committee asked 250 television stations last month to stop airing the group's commercials criticizing Bush.

Inhofe is just particularly obnoxious and unskilled at what the national GOP is trying to do - silence advocacy groups that refuse to play their game. Tom DeLay has made it a priority to make sure every group in Washington hires only Republican lobbyists if they want to get through the doors of Congress. The RNC is trying to shut down MoveOn.org and other 527 groups that are running the same kinds of ads that Republican-advocacy groups ran for Bush in 2000, and apparently was blindsided by not thinking to form their own 527 groups.

Inhofe is on the same page, but he's too petty, vindictive, and hateful to hide it very well.