(4) GOP presidential hopefuls shift on global warming

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Source: AP

One thing that Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney have in common: These GOP presidential contenders all are running away from their past positions on global warming, driven by their party's loud doubters who question the science and disdain government solutions.

All four have stepped back from previous stances on the issue, either apologizing outright or softening what they said earlier. And those who haven't fully recanted are under pressure to do so.

The latest sign of that pressure came Thursday when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he was pulling his state out of a regional agreement to reduce greenhouse gases, saying it won't work. While Christie, a rising GOP star, has said he's not running for president, some in the party continue to recruit him.

It's an indicator of a shift on the issue among conservative Republicans, who have an outsized influence in the party's presidential primary elections. Over the last few years, Gallup polling has shown a decline in the share of Americans saying that global warming's effects have already begun - from a high of 61 percent in 2008 to 49 percent in March. The change is driven almost entirely by conservatives.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GOP_2012_GLOBAL_WARMING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-05-27-16-33-40

[handmade34]

1. sad, sad, sad

[progressoid]

2. Fuck 'em

Fuck 'em all.

[napoleon_in_rags]

3. How can you look at the recent climate events and not worry?

I see
1) IPCC scientists predict more extreme weather events.
2) This:

And I think Hmmm. Maybe this is serious stuff.

If we head into global catastrophe because of somebody's talking points...That's a the kind of fail that has never been conceived. That's the "oh my god mankind is literally too stupid to exist" fail.

[roguevalley]

4. if that were their neighborhood, they would still tuck tail and run away.

they are going to live and probably die on the nutwad wing of their collective hallucination, formerly the repugs.

[dimbear]

5. By my rough count, the weather is doing more damage in the red states.

Just another example of Republicans voting against themselves (and us.)

[Quantess]

6. Amazing.