From Mark Morano, over at Climate Depot:

Mann’s lawyer John B. Williams: “…Dr. Mann’s conclusions have been replicated by no fewer than twelve independent studies”

Climate Depot Response: Michael Mann’s Hockey Stick temperature claims have been demolished in the scientific literature. The latest research clearly reveals that the Medieval Warm Period (used to be referred to as the Medieval Climate Optimum) has been verified and was in fact global, not just confined to the Northern Hemisphere. The Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change reported in 2009 that the “Medieval Warm Period was: (1) global in extent, (2) at least as warm as, but likely even warmer than, the Current Warm Period, and (3) of a duration significantly longer than that of the Current Warm Period to date.”

In addition, The Science and Public Policy Institute reported in May 2009: “More than 700 scientists from 400 institutions in 40 countries have contributed peer-reviewed papers providing evidence that the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) was real, global, and warmer than the present. And the numbers grow larger daily.”

Climate Depot has assembled a small sampling of peer-reviewed studies, data and analyses that refute Michael Mann’s Hockey Stick temperature claims of unprecedented 20th century warmth.

That’s just a small sample. Mann will really regret this if he continues to move forward, but his ego may force him to regardless. It is the ultimate in hubris.

[Update a few minutes later]

And here is a report from an alternate universe, in which Mann is not going to get shredded on the stand:

The legal dismemberment of the Denial machine has begun. In a conversation thursday with a very senior scientist, I was updated on a number of actions slowly encircling the Denial industry. Think, – Tobacco lawsuits on stereo steroids, with extra secret sauce.

The “Denial industry.” A “very senior scientist.”

Top. Men.

Hilarious.

[Update a few more minutes later]

Stacy McCain wants in on the hot, hot lawsuit action.

[Another update]

Litigator Maxwell Kennerly thinks that Mann has a case. I think he’s dreaming.

What all of the Mann defenders ignore are the numerous accusations against his hockey stick and methods from within the “climate science” community itself, much of which views him as a preening embarrassment. And when the emails are exposed in court, “fraud” is likely to be one of the kinder terms that will be seen as applicable to him. The warm mongers are going to regret embracing him — it was unnecessary to do so in order to defend their “science,” and seems to have been done largely for emotional, but not rational reasons (it brings to mind the Democrats’ knee-jerk defense of Bill Clinton for his multiple felonies, simply because he was under attack by their perceived enemy).

And in doing so, they will end up doing great damage to their cause.

[Update a while later]

Link to Peter Sinclair’s lunacy was broken. Fixed now.

Get lost:

Usually, you don’t welcome a nuisance lawsuit, because it’s a nuisance. It consumes time. It costs money. But this is a different matter in light of one word: discovery.

If Mann sues us, the materials we will need to mount a full defense will be extremely wide-ranging. So if he files a complaint, we will be doing more than fighting a nuisance lawsuit; we will be embarking on a journalistic project of great interest to us and our readers.

And this is where you come in. If Mann goes through with it, we’re probably going to call on you to help fund our legal fight and our investigation of Mann through discovery. If it gets that far, we may eventually even want to hire a dedicated reporter to comb through the materials and regularly post stories on Mann.

My advice to poor Michael is to go away and bother someone else. If he doesn’t have the good sense to do that, we look forward to teaching him a thing or two about the law and about how free debate works in a free country.

He could use a lot of education on that score. As I said at the time, this was nothing but bluster to try to get a cheap apology.

[Update a few minutes later]

Mark Steyn: Stick it where the global warming won’t shine.

[One more update before bed]

I have to say that it’s unusual (fortunately) for me to be mentioned in a response to a libel lawsuit. I still hope he moves forward, but if he does, he’s even more of a fool than he’s already demonstrated himself to be. I don’t think his tobacco lawyer had any idea what he was getting himself into when he sent that letter on Mann’s “behalf,” and he’s likely advising him to give it up at this point.