House Speaker John Boehner doesn’t like the Obama administration’s proposed rules on greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. But he may have undercut his own party’s efforts to derail them when he admitted he can’t debate the science of climate change.
At this morning’s Republican leadership press conference, a reporter noted Boehner’s concerns about the regulations and asked:
“Are there steps you would support to take action against climate change and do you think that’s a problem?”
Boehner’s reply was simply breathtaking, and has to be reproduced in full to be believed.
“Well, listen. I’m not qualified to debate the science over climate change. But I am astute enough to understand that every proposal that has come out of this administration to deal with climate change involves hurting our economy and killing American jobs. That can’t be the prescription for dealing with changes in our climate.”
Shorter version:
“I can’t debate the science behind a scientific issue, but I’ll still stand in the way of efforts to deal with it.”
Calling this cringe-worthy would be putting it very mildly, even if it wasn’t coming from the Speaker.
The most benign explanation for such an ignorant statement is that Boehner must be trying to cut the legs out from under the more conservative members of his own caucus, some of whom are already sounding out possible replacements for him even if the Republicans manage to hold onto their majority after the midterms.
A recent poll by Pew Research found that only 25 percent of self-identified tea partiers believe that there is solid evidence of the Earth’s temperature getting warmer over the last two decades, while 67 percent of all Americans believe such evidence exists.
In other words, while pooh-poohing climate change may help Boehner derail a revolt in his caucus, it won’t help either his or his party’s standing with the American people in general.
Edited/Published by:SB
Darrell Lucus is a radical lefty Jesus-lover who has been blogging for change for a decade. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook.
