A ‘GOP Energy Summit’ held today at Ohio State University attracted more protesters outside than those attending the event hosted by Ohio Congressman Bob Latta inside a campus building. 

The summit, hosted by five Republican legislators, including several members of the GOP American Energy Solutions Group, was designed to “provide an opportunity to discuss the GOP‘s American Energy Act,” a Republican ‘alternative bill’ that is virtually identical to the failed energy plan put forward under the Bush Administration.

ProgressOhio.org reports that over 50 protesters turned out to heckle the GOPers for their ‘stone age’ efforts to ignore the threat of climate change.

The failed summit was meant to showcase Ohio GOP leaders attacking the Waxman-Markey bill that passed the House of Representatives in June.  House Republican Leader John Boehner, who attended the Ohio summit, described the Waxman-Markey bill as a “pile of s#*t.”

Rep. Latta declared in April that the “Obama administration has declared war on Ohio and Indiana” by proposing the cap-and-trade carbon reduction plan that is the centerpiece of the climate legislation passed by the House and awaiting action by the Senate this fall.

Joining Congressman Latta and Boehner at the event were House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN), and Ohio Reps. Pat Tiberi, Jean Schmidt, and Steve Austria. 

The group no doubt hoped to demonstrate public support for their Bush-inspired ‘alternative bill,’ but the poor turnout demonstrated the opposite, with protesters easily outnumbering attendees.

A group called ‘Bring Ohio Back’ launched an ad on YouTube this week criticizing the “Stone Age 5” group of Ohio GOP representatives working to derail action on clean energy and climate legislation.

Stay tuned for further details on this failed GOP energy summit in Ohio.