Crist choosing to Bend Over to Anti-Science Syndrome (A.S.S.) tantrums?

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

Everywhere we look, it seems, the evidence is there.

Whether the “Birthers” or 10-year olds carrying signs equating Obama with Hitler or anti-choice murderers or “intelligent design” propagandists, an epidemic is breaking out across the United States. An epidemic whose manifestation, now, are screaming masses threatening the very underpinnings of American democracy.  As per blue aardvark,

In a democracy, power comes from the ability to persuade. You win because people like your ideas.

The Republicans are admitting they can’t win a fair fight. They are cowards.

While the attention is focused on the mobs storming Democratic politicians’ town halls and highlighted are the depraved (mal-informed) rages about health care, the reality is that anti-clean energy interests are sponsoring their own variations of outright deception and fostered screaming outrage. To a large extent, one thing shared among the “outraged” voices: a deep (and proud) embrace of know-nothingness.

But this outraged know-nothingness isn’t targeted solely at Democratic Party politicians seeking to communicate with their constituents, also targeted are Republican politicians who show any signs of seeking to link their policy concepts with reality.

We see this in Republican politicians who seek to speak something approaching common sense who retreat in face of Rush and his Dittoheads.  We see this in Republican “base” outrage against any Republican politician who finds something positive to say about the President of the United States.

In the latest example, lets focus a lens on Governor Charles Crist (R-FL). Check out Serve to Preserve (note the website address: MyFloridaClimate.COM) and Crist’s ‘enviro’ credentials seem strong.

In 2007 and 2008, Crist held Florida climate change summits. And, with these meetings and some actual actions, Crist staked out a position as one of the leading Republican Governors on climate change issues:

In 2007, Governor Charlie Crist set a new direction for Florida’s energy future by signing a groundbreaking set of Executive Orders during the Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Climate Change. The three Executive Orders represent the Governor’s commitment to addressing global climate change. The orders will guide Florida to reduce greenhouse gases, increase energy efficiency and pursue more renewable and alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind technologies, ethanol and hydrogen.

The position seem set in stone when Florida’s climate change plan came out last fall. Coming from a Republican state Administration, amid the 2008 Presidential election where the Republican campaign was an embracing of “Drill! Baby! Drill!”, this plan is, quite honestly impressed in its breadth of coverage and optimism for how Florida could link moving toward a cleaner energy future with greater economic prosperity for Florida’s citizens.

emissions would be reduced 64% from business-as-usual projections by 2025 if all fifty policy recommendations are implemented. That translates into a 51% reduction of emissions below 2005 levels, and a 33% reduction below 1990 levels

Now, let’s be clear: it wasn’t Crist who set those targets. “The reductions blow past the targets Governor Crist asked the Action Team to hit.”  But Crist, in setting up the Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change, explicitedly acknowledged climate change and explicitly recognized that Florida’s and Floridians’ future prospects required serious action to address climate change.  

Recognizing that Crist’s approach was far from perfect and not nearly enough and often rheotoric rather than dedicated efforts for actual change, if Charlie Crist of 2007 and 2008 were the Republican voice re climate change, global warming, and energy there would actually be a path toward real bipartisan cooperation toward solutions and creating new opportunities.  We would be discussing, negotiating, fighting over what are the best solutions rather than dealing with fossil-foolish funded and ideologically-driven obfuscation and deceit that is enabling the spread and entrenching of anti-science syndrome.

In the face of that deceit and ideological reasons for rejecting reality-based policy, it shouldn’t surprise you that Crist’s Action Team’s plan on Energy and Climate Change didn’t survive contact with Florida’s Republican-dominated legislature.

Crist’s embrace of reality seems, however, to distress Anti-Science Syndrome (A.S.S.) suffering Haters Of a Livable Economy (H.O.L.E.) elements of the Republican base.  According to Miami Herald reporting, as he seeks a path to victory in a Republican primary for the Senate race, Crist is about to retreat from a Republican leadership position on climate change to appease those who have utter disdain for scientists in callous disregard to the future security and prosperity of America and Americans.

Gov. Charlie Crist is cooling to global warming.

Under mounting criticism from fellow Republicans, Crist looks ready to cancel his climate-change summit and is backing away from advocating a “cap-and-trade” energy policy.

Mario Rubio, the main opponent in the Republican Party, coming from the (FAR) right of Crist, has attacked Crist’s concepts re carbon as “tax” (not a winning word association for a US election, especially a Republican primary unless “cut” is associated with it)  and associating Crist’s energy/climate policy concepts as lockstep with the Obama Administration (another evil concept for popularity within the Republican base).

In the face of Rubio’s rabid know-nothingness, Crist faced a choice. He could embrace reality, could stand by the solid work that he has sponsored and given visibility to in the climate summits, he could help create a viable Republican path for presenting a meaningful voice on how to deal with Global Warming.  He could choose to be a leader, to seek to bring Florida’s Republicans into the battle for a prosperous, climate-friendly future.  He could … but it doesn’t look like he will.

Instead, Crist may not hold another “Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Climate Change”.

“Asked Thursday about the summit’s fate, Crist said he had not decided yet and cited the “cost” to potential sponsors.”

Interestingly, the previous sponsors have indicated that they were (are) willing to fund anothr event. (“Another previous sponsor, the Everglades Foundation, was prepared to donate $10,000 to another summit, said spokesman Kirk Fordham.”)

Touring Tallahassee-based Danfoss Turbocor, a manufacturer of eco-friendly industrial air-conditioning compressors, Crist talked Thursday about the need to turn to green energy. At a news conference, the company’s President and CEO Ricardo Schneider noted Crist’s support of climate-change legislation.

But when asked afterward about the legislation, Crist sounded a more cautious note: “As with anything, any proposal, you want to try to do it right and not be over oppressive, if you will, as it relates to how you implement things.”

When given the chance, Charlie Crist is choosing to not speak out forthrightly about the need for serious action to turn the tides on Global Warming’s rising seas that so threaten his state and its citizens.

Crist’s ever-so nuanced shift is raising eyebrows.

Some environmentalists are “a little worried” about Crist’s apparent shift, said Eric Draper, a lobbyist for Florida Audubon and a Democratic candidate for state agriculture commissioner. … “He got the conversation going. It was not happening before,” Draper said. “But it has stalled. And we need to finish the job.”

“Finish the job” would require Crist to continue his leadership role and seek to take Republican voters along with him.

But that doesn’t look like that is the choice he is making.

Crist’s movement toward placating the know-nothing Republican base is being noticed within the Party.

Rubio said the governor is retreating from his positions on climate change to placate members of his own party, though Crist denies it.

Charlie Crist faces a choice. He can be a leader, seeking to educate and lead his Party toward something better, to a positive role in helping create a more prosperous future. Instead, he has chosen to placate the Know-Nothing A.S.S. suffering H.O.L.E.s who are, evidently, such an important part of Florida’s Republican Party’s primary voters.