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Craig contributors ‘get’ global warming, even if Idaho's senior senator does not

Contact:  Chuck Oxley   (208) 871-4976 (office)  

BOISE, Idaho – Republican Sen. Larry Craig should come to grips with the reality of global warming, State Democratic Party Chairman Richard Stallings said Monday. Even Craig’s own top PAC contributor – an out-of-state power company – recognizes that planetary heating is the biggest problem facing America and the world.

Last night, former Vice President Al Gore appeared in Boise to discuss global warming. With more than 10,000 people in attendance, he presented the same scientific facts that are contained his recent Oscar-nominated film documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Gore’s message is that America should take this opportunity to lead the world in reversing the trend toward warming climactic temperatures in key areas, such as Greenland and Antarctica. But at a news conference earlier Monday, Craig refused to recognize scientific fact.

“Mr. Gore is sending a very mixed message,” Craig told television news reporters. “He may get a Hollywood award for his performance in his documentary, but I do believe the message he is trying to preach around the world will not sell.”

Yet, on the very same day he  made this statement, Larry Craig’s own top 2006 political contributor, FFL Group (Florida Power and Light, $21,000), issued a statement calling on the United States government to “quickly enact strong national legislation to achieve significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.”

“If he won’t listen to Al Gore, maybe he’ll listen to his top political contributor,” Stallings said on Tuesday “The experts agree – there is no longer any serious debate about whether the planet is heating up. The debate now is what to do about it.

“If Larry Craig wants to continue to represent Idaho in the congressional minority, he should become a part of the solution, not an obstacle to the truth,” Stallings said. “Simply denying global warming will not make it go away, and it only serves to hurt us all in the long run.”