Kerry and Gingrich Face Off on Climate Change

[kerrygoddess]

Kerry and Gingrich Face Off on Climate Change
April 10th, 2007 @ 4:35 pm

John Kerry and Newt Gingrich faced off this morning “in a friendly exchange” on the issue of Global Warming in a debate on Capitol Hill.

They began by promoting each other’s books. Gingrich said Kerry’s new book, “This Moment on Earth: Today’s New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future,” is “a very interesting read” and said he agrees with 60 percent of it. Kerry hasn’t read Gingrich’s new book on the environment, due out later this year, but said he has always enjoyed their exchanges.

Then the two argued for nearly two hours about whether the government should cap emissions of greenhouse gases or whether tax breaks will encourage businesses to do so.

Kerry said no environmental crisis has ever been solved voluntarily, without government intervention. “That’s like saying, ‘Barry Bonds, go investigate steroids,’ or letting Enron take control of pensions,” said the Massachusetts senator and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee.

Libby Quaid reports for AP News, “The arguments were typical for their political parties, although Gingrich is farther to the left of some Republicans who dispute the science behind climate change.”

Kerry asked what Gingrich would say to Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., who calls global warming a hoax.

“My message, I think, is that the evidence is sufficient that we should move toward the most effective possible steps to reduce carbon loading in the atmosphere,” Gingrich replied.

He explained that conservatives often worry that the prescription for environmental problems will be bigger government and higher taxes.

KERRY'S OPENING STATEMENT & AUDIO LINK OF THE DEBATE HERE: http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=5605

[Fabio]

1. This was an excellent exchange

and I believe both leaders deserve credit for participating in the forum. It was not about the "whether" there is a problem, but about the "how" to address it.

[TayTay]

2. That was a remarkable event

It amazing what an honest debate can genuinely look like. Take away the pre-fab talking points, the demonization of an opponent and the silly sound bites designed to grab ten seconds of TV time and you just might have something that is really, really excellent.

I commend both Sen. Kerry and Speaker Gingrich for this debate. It was a wide-ranging exploration of two different approaches to solving te problems inolved with global climate change and environmental crisis. It was informative, engaging and really interesting to follow.

This is what most voters, I think, want their elected officials to do when they go to Washington, engage in honest and open debate on critical issues. It is also what they so rarely get as partisanship gets in the way of the exchange of views. I hope a lot more people at least hear about this debate and learn that this type of exchange can happen when people committed to an open exchange of ideas get to have an open forum. Kudos to all who participated and those who set it up. Great, great debate.

[greenman3610]

3. this was a watershed

coupled with this week's Newsweek cover, Arnold holding up the
earth, it is emblematic of Republicans being forced to
accept the framing of global warming..
the issue is not whether its happening, its
how to deal with it.

This is stunning progress in just months.

If you saw the earlier post of Glenn Beck's global warming
stupidity, remember, the GW denialists are now more than
ever like those Japanese soldiers holed up in caves after
wwII. They may be fanatical, but they are ineffectual.

[blm]

6. It has been remarkable and that's why corpmedia is downplaying it.

What Kerry got Gingrich to admit to would certainly change the entire debate in the Senate. We should be using this event to force Inhofe and others to be completely marginalized in the public debate, but the corpmedia is again blowing up other stories and as usual fiddling while Rome burns.

[Unbowed]

4. This was an adult debate.

It was refreshing to watch two intelligent men having a genuine discourse on this very serious subject. John Kerry was in top form and both he and Newt Gingrich were surprisingly gracious to each other. Both were far more interested in addressing the issue of global climate change than in throwing spitballs at one another. How remarkable!

[Dr Fate]

8. I'm biased- but I would say Kerry set and maintained that tone. n/t

n/t

[blm]

10. You mean he forced Gingrich to act like a human being?

heh...

Actually, FogerRox and I both read it like this: Newt's ego. He is in love with his own brainpower, and relished the chance to show it off. Newt's really good when he listens to his actual brain, but becomes a disaster when he puts information through his partisan filter, and unfortunately, he does that way too often to be seen as a great mind they way he wants to be seen.

[beachmom]

5. That was a great debate, and I enjoyed watching it.

I hope a lot of people can watch it on CSPAN and avoid the MSM spin, a lot of it not resembling the actual debate.

[ThomWV]

7. It Was A Fine Example Of What A Presidential Debate Should Be

And as much was said toward the end in the questioning part of the session.

[blm]

9. Kick - as greenman states above, this was a watershed moment. It's being downplayed by corp media

.