Steve Benen: Romney Flips on Carbon Emissions

[flpoljunkie]

(As the late Ann Richards might say, 'Poor Mitt, he can't help it.'

July 19, 2011

Romney flips on carbon emissions
By Steve Benen

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney deserved some recent praise when he told a group of New Hampshire voters he takes climate change seriously.

“I don’t speak for the scientific community, of course, but I believe the world’s getting warmer. I can’t prove that, but I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that. I don’t know how much our contribution is to that, because I know that there have been periods of greater heat and warmth in the past but I believe we contribute to that. And so I think it’s important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may well be significant contributors to the climate change and the global warming that you’re seeing.”

This isn’t a common sentiment among Republicans, especially GOP candidates seeking national office, so it was a welcome development for Romney. Standards have obviously dropped considerably, but it arguably took some guts for him to tell Republican voters the truth and call for a reduction in emissions.

That was in June. Yesterday, back in New Hampshire, Romney decided to take a different tack.

“I think we may have made a mistake, we have made a mistake is what I believe, in saying that the EPA should regulate carbon emissions. I don’t think that was the intent of the original legislation, and I don’t think carbon is a pollutant in the sense of harming our bodies.”

Oh, Mitt, you were doing so well.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_07/romney_flips_on_carbon_emissio030969.php

[11 Bravo]

1. "Romney Flips" hasn't been news for quite some time now.

If the well-coiffed Ken doll EVER maintains a consistent position, then that will be news.