If Sen. Jim Inhofe wants to get into a war of words, he should make sure his words are correct and serve a useful purpose. It also doesn’t serve Congress for him to start a name-calling game with other members of the Senate.

Last week, Inhofe, R-Okla., referred to incoming Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., as a “clown.” Franken was elected in close balloting months ago, but he was locked in a court battle with his opponent, the incumbent Norm Coleman.

Franken is a comedian, writing in the past for “Saturday Night Live.” He also is an actor and political commentator.

Inhofe may not like that Republicans lost a seat to Democrats. He may not like Franken. But from now on he has to work with Franken and the Democrats.

Inhofe’s comment that he meant comedian, not clown, doesn’t change what he said. He and everyone else knows what he meant. If Inhofe wants respect, then he should show some.

And that was an earlier complaint by Inhofe. He said that people have been “discrediting” him for 10 years because of his skepticism over global warming. So recently, Inhofe said that a “criminal investigation” should be conducted into the Environmental Protection Agency for what Inhofe called the suppression of a climate change report.

Inhofe backed off his criminal allegation Thursday. He said he didn’t have enough knowledge to pass judgment.

Inhofe has the right to question scientific reports and EPA procedures, he can criticize others, but it doesn’t strengthen his position to resort to name-calling or to make claims that he later has to deny.