MEMO: Rick Perry: The Great Campaigner?
Last week, Texas Governor Rick Perry burst onto the GOP Presidential scene, managing to step all over the Ames straw poll by making his official announcement the same day.
By waiting until after the straw poll to enter the race, Perry avoided answering the tough questions that voters care about. Rather than use his first week in the race to show Americans where he stands on today's most pressing issues, he upstaged himself with a series of gaffes and extreme statements, revealing that he's just not ready for prime time.
Rick Perry Accuses Scientists Of Manipulating Climate Data
On August 17, 2011, Texas Gov. Rick Perry called climate change "a scientific theory that has not been proven," and accused scientists of manipulating the data in order to secure funding:
PERRY: "You may have a point there because, I do believe that the issue of global warming has been politicized. I think there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data, so that they will have dollars rolling into their, to their projects. I think we're seeing almost weekly or even daily scientists who are coming forward and questioning, the original idea that man-made global warming is what is causing the climate to change. Yes, our climate's changed, it's been changing for ever-ever since the earth was formed, but I do not buy into that uh, a group of scientists, who have in some cases found to be manipulating this information and the cost to the country and to the world of implementing these uh, uh anti-carbon programs is in the billions if not trillions of dollars at the end of the, of the day, and I don't think from my perspective I want America to be engaged in spending that much money on still a scientific theory that has not been proven, and from my perspective is more and more being put into question."
Mitt Romney On Climate Change
Romney Said Obama’s Promotion Of Cap And Trade “Tax” Dissuaded “Expansion By Employers In The Energy Sector.” Romney wrote, “Promoting an open-ended cap-and-trade tax dissuades expansion by employers in the energy sector.” [Romney Op-Ed, Boston Globe, 8/18/10] Romney: Close Down Any Talk Of Cap And Trade And Expand Our Commitment To Nuclear And Natural Gas. Romney wrote, “Close down any talk of carbon cap-and-trade. It will burden consumers and employers with billions in new costs. Instead, greatly expand our commitment to natural gas and nuclear, boosting jobs now and reducing the export of energy jobs and dollars later.” [Romney Op-Ed, USA Today, 12/3/09]
Scott Brown On The Environment
Brown Questioned Climate Change. During a discussion on WBZ Radio with Dan Rea, Coakley and Brown debated climate change. Coakley said, “Scott acts as if there is no climate change problem. If you believe there is a climate change issue, then you have to take action.” Brown responded, “I [have] said the climate is always changing. The question I have is, is it man-made, or does it just happen naturally?” [Boston Globe, 12/22/09]