Republican presidential hopefuls pander to California on CO₂ emissions

With the field of potential nominees to be the Republican candidate for president this year rapidly dwindling, the front runners at the moment are now hitting the most delegate-heavy states in preparation for next weeks "Super Tuesday" primaries. Twenty-one states will go to the polls next week including California where environmental concerns are one of the big issues. During a debate on CNN on Wednesday evening former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Senator John McCain both came out in favor of California's attempts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
In December Romney held the opposite view, indicating that the federal government should be setting the limits for carbon emissions, a position in line with the domestic automakers. That however was before Michigan held its primary, which Romney won. It's not that McCain, Romney or any other candidate shouldn't support California's efforts. However, given their party's traditional recalcitrance on the issue, Romney in particular comes across as insincere at best. On air during the debate Romney agreed that states should be able to make their own decisions. Off-air when few people are likely to notice, the Romney campaign issued a statement that the federal government, not states, should set the limits.

[Source: Detroit News]