forsyth | They Don't Know Anything, Do They?

Mike Huckabee, Chuck Norris approved Republican Presidential Candidate:

"I consider myself a conservationist. I think we ought to have some cap and trade. It worked with acid rain. I think it could work with Co2 emissions. I think we ought to be out there talking about ways to reduce energy consumption and waste. And we ought to declare that we will be free of energy consumption in this country within a decade, bold as that is."

Ending energy consumption in the US within a decade! Wow, that is bold! Is he going to include chemical energy consumption, or just electricity? Because ending electricity consumption just requires a Day the Earth Stood Still style magic ray, ending chemical energy consumption would require killing all life on the continent.

He said this on a national television program. Katie Couric was asking candidates about global warming. And Mike Huckabee is so clueless about the basic matters of energy use he was just spouting inanities, or he meant something else and got flustered by Katie Couric's instense scrutiny.

The other Republicans weren't much better, Giuliani rambled something about energy independence and somehow using coal that doesn't add carbon to the atmosphere, Mitt Romney brought up the same mirage, and claimed that China's the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, which is false, we are. Fred Thompson denied global warming exists, and said that the mythical Social Security shortfall is more important. McCain's response was actually fairly decent, though I must admit to skepticism about how tough an environmental bill by him and Joe Lieberman is. But most of the Republican field is still in denial.

But Huckabee just got another endorsement, besides Chuck Norris, from the founder of the vigilante border guard "Minutemen" guys. A preacher flanked by Chuck Norris and a crazy "Minuteman" seems like the perfect depiction of what the Republican party has become.