(CNN) -- The way some Republicans talk about the Environmental Protection Agency, you would think it was created by a bunch of pot-smoking hippies communing at a nudist camp in northern California -- when in fact, the EPA was created by one of their own, Richard Nixon, in 1970. 

Much as Republicans don't like to bring up the huge tax increases instituted by their hero, Ronald Reagan, they prefer to sidestep their role in the EPA's humble beginnings and blame it on Democrats. They characterize the whole thing as an albatross hanging around the economy's neck. 

To be fair, Nixon did not ride into the White House as a conservationist, and he did veto the Clean Water Act. But he said he did so because of the price tag of the policy, not its purpose. After the Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969 -- which at the time was the largest in U.S. history -- Nixon agreed with the rest of thinking society that clean water and air were a good thing. And his fingerprints are all over such tree-hugging initiatives as the Clean Air Act. 

Sadly, if he tried any of that funny business today, his own party would probably impeach him. That's how far down the oil well some in the Republican leadership have fallen. 

Rep. Michelle Bachmann said she would lock the EPA's doors and turn off its lights if she were president (thankfully there's no chance of that); Newt Gingrich said he would shut down the EPA and create a replacement to work with businesses to create jobs (making it more of a lapdog than watchdog); Rick Perry asked the president to halt all regulations, adding "his EPA regulations are killing jobs all across America."  QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. Which president created the EPA?
2. Who brought the EPA into existance?
3. 
Q2:
1. When did Richard Nixon create the EPA?
2. What was the year of the EPA's creation?
3. 
Q3:
1. What political party did Richard Nixon belong to?
2. What was Richard Nixon's political affiliation?
3. 
Q4:
1. Were the Republicans proud that Richard Nixon started the EPA?
2. Did it make Republicans happy that Richard Nixon created the EPA?
3. 
Q5:
1. Why did Richard Nixon create the EPA?
2. What was Richard Nixon's reasoning for making the EPA?
3. 
Q6:
1. What event led to Richard Nixon creating the EPA?
2. What happened that made Richard Nixon found the EPA?
3. 
