ABC News: Gingrich Defends Shifting Statements on Climate Change

Yahoo ^ | 11/18/11 | Amy Bingham | ABC News

[NormsRevenge]

Mitt Romney may be the GOP presidential candidate that is most often criticized for flip-flopping , but as Newt Gingrich rises to challenge him at the top of the polls, the former House speaker may also be giving him a run for his money on that label of inconsistency.

When it comes to global warming, Gingrich’s position seems to have changed faster than the climate.

...

In the more than 30 years since Gingrich was first elected to the House, he has said there is both sufficient evidence to prove the climate is changing and also that there is no conclusive proof. He supported a cap-and-trade program to limit carbon emissions and then later testified against it before a Congressional committee.

And while in the House he co-sponsored a bill that said climate change was “resulting from human activities,” but he later said he did not know if humans were to blame.

“There is no compelling evidence on either side to either rule it out or rule in it,” Gingrich’s spokesman R.C. Hammond said of the candidate’s position on global warming and the impact of man-made pollution. “But at the end of the day he’s somebody who does care about the environment.”

DiPeso said the Republican “orthodox” position on climate change is that “you can’t deal with this issue because it will kill the economy.”

“It’s politically dangerous for prominent Republicans to acknowledge climate change is real and that human activity plays a prominent role,” he said. ”It could be that Gingrich is just trying to play a political game and stick with the political orthodoxy to keep himself from being vulnerable to attacks.”

DiPeso added: “It’s not the first time he’s done that and it’s probably not going to be the last.”

[GlockLady]

Answering the Attacks_Gingrich campaign aims to rebut attacks – CNN Political Ticker - http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/18/gingrich-campaign-aims-to-rebut-attacks/

“See an attack that is not answered? Let us know here. This page will grow as we receive more feedback to help you answer the attacks.” - http://www.newt.org/answers

[TitansAFC]

Newt picked apart Gore's “facts” in the popular Freeper video oft posted.

Newt is too savvy, however, to level such a blanket accusation against everyone who might believe in AGW. That crosses a lot of lines of a lot of different people of all walks of life. Otherwise Conservative Evangelical organizations list it as a top concern, many of them GOP voters of the reliable stripe.

Mark Levin has the luxury of calling people names and making blanket declarations. Nobody who wants to lead the country can pretend to have Godlike knowledge of the issue as such that they can declare the definitive and permanent end to any further discussion.

This is the right approach - declare that you think AGW is wrong, but allow for the possibility that you may be wrong, and welcome further research into the issue. True science is likely on our side, period.

[CutePuppy]

Yes, for conservative talk show hosts it's all "red meat" and "no compromise" and then, somehow, getting 80%-90% of the goal at one time becomes a "sell out," "folding," "defeat," "incompetence," and worse yet, a "compromise."

That's how Gingrich was branded for achieving so much and turning the direction of the country from Clintonomics into "The era of Big Government is over" (Bill Clinton) and welfare reform, among others, in just 4 years as a Speaker, with liberal Republican Senate and Democrat President.

Governing, especially without overwhelming super-majority, is very different from ideological political hot air. And, as Democrats are finding out, super-majority may deliver you some legislative victories but they are fleeting and will be dismantled pretty fast if they were simply rammed down people's throats instead of educating and convincing majority of people of the benefits and right direction.

"The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally - not a 20 percent traitor" - Ronald Reagan

"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit" - Ronald Reagan