Intrepid world traveler Gov. Bill Ritter is back from his trip to the Arctic Circle. And boy, is he photogenic.
Press photos released by Ritter's office show the helmsman of Colorado's "new energy economy" in a pose that immediately reminded of us of actor George Clooney in the 2000 film The Perfect Storm. He's got the look nailed - down to the dirty baseball cap and five o'clock shadow!
Ritter was in the Arctic on board the National Geographic's Endeavor with a group of American business, political and religious leaders, according to the press release. At a Tuesday event in downtown Denver, Ritter said the passenger manifest also included liberal icons former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright, and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
Ritter and a block of iceStewart Cohen/via State of Colo.
Members of the expedition issued a document entitled, "A Statement of Hope & An Appeal For Action." Among the conclusions: In order to combat anthropological climate change, "We need action at all levels of government."
The document also declares climate change as detrimental to just about every facet of human life: "to civilization; to wildlife, forests and the ocean; to fresh water; to agriculture; to human health; to justice; to the poor; to those who are yet to be born — and to peace."
On the plus side: Socially conservative liberals, once energized by Ritter's qualified pro-life stance, will be encouraged to see the unborn wrapped back into the political debate.
But maybe it's time for Ritter to stick close to home for a while - after all, he has been gone the better part of the last two weeks traveling the Earth, first to Spain on an economic-development junket, and now to the far north. Speaking of, where's the photos of his swanky dinners in Madrid?