Even McCain Knows Rossi is Wrong

SEATTLE – Republican Presidential candidate John McCain will bring his campaign to give Americans a 3rd Bush term to Washington state next week to discuss his efforts to fight global climate change. And while McCain’s campaign suggests his visit to the green-friendly Northwest will boost his faux “maverick bona fides,” McCain must not have coordinated his message with Republican Dino Rossi, whose abysmal record on global climate change and outright denial of a scientific consensus for action puts him severely at odds with both McCain and an overwhelming majority of Washingtonians.

McCain has openly repudiated deniers of global warming in campaign stops across America, suggesting to the Rossis of the world that “the debate is over.” And while Rossi sarcastically dismisses the issue, McCain has even purchased paid campaign advertising declaring “the time is past when we argue about whether climate change is real or not.”

The contrast between McCain and anti-science Neanderthal Rossi on climate change couldn’t be any sharper:

Rossi: “…there’s still a lot of debate going on this, we see it out there and there’s going to be a big debate coming up in the next two, three years. Because there are, you know, I’ve listened to other scientists who disagree with, you know, I know – why are people even bothering about long term planning if Al Gore says the world is going to end in ten years or fifteen years – but there are a lot of scientists that disagree.” [Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce, 3/8/07]

McCain: “I think the time is past when we argue about whether climate change is real or not. We have an obligation to future generations to take action and fix it.” [McCain New Hampshire Radio Ad, November 2007]

McCain: “The overwhelming majority of scientific opinion in America today and in the world is that climate change is real. The fact is that it is real … and I believe that we have an obligation, as do increasing numbers of the evangelical community, that we have an obligation to the stewardship of this earth, and I’ll be glad to exchange scientific information with you, but in my view, the debate is over.” [McCain Town Hall, Spartanburg, SC, 2/18/07]

Rossi’s denial of global warming and his abysmal record on climate change lines up exactly with his ultra-conservative, right-wing building industry backers, who have built Rossi’s political career from the ground up. The BIAW has touted their efforts to fight action on global warming in Washington state, listing opposition to Gov. Gregoire’s climate change legislation and election of Republican Dino Rossi as top priorities in the battle.

“While Gov. Gregoire continues her strong leadership to address climate change, Republican Dino Rossi is stuck in the Stone Age – with an abysmal record and extreme far-right allies that leave no doubt he would reverse our substantial progress on this critical issue,” said Kelly Steele, spokesman for the Washington State Democratic Party. “Despite an overwhelming scientific consensus and the strong desire of Washingtonians for action, Rossi continues to oppose efforts to address global warming pollution – further evidence that we simply can’t trust Rossi with our future.”

So will McCain set “Dino the Denier” straight on global climate change during his visit?

For more information on Rossi's environmental policies, visit The Real Dino Rossi.