02/18/08
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Sandretti, (202) 785-8683 or david_sandretti@lcv.org
LCV Applauds Stephanopoulos for Questioning John McCain on Climate Change, Urges Other Reporters to Press Candidates on Global Warming Plans
WASHINGTON, DC – League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski praised ABC’s George Stephanopoulos for questioning John McCain on climate change:
“We applaud ABC’s This Week and anchor George Stephanopoulos for questioning GOP presidential candidate John McCain about the single greatest challenge of this generation: global warming,” Karpinski said. “And we encourage other networks and journalists to hold the presidential candidates accountable, to question them on this and other environmental issues which are clearly important to the American people as we choose our next president.
“Last month at a debate in Florida, McCain was asked by moderator Tim Russert of NBC <http://lcv.org/newsroom/press-releases/lcv-praises-moderator-russert-for-raising-critical-issue-in-boca-raton-debate.html> if he supported a ‘mandatory cap’ on emissions and McCain said ‘no’ in seeming contradiction to his previously held position. But during Sunday’s interview, McCain responded to Stephanopoulos that he indeed supports a mandatory cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. McCain went on to say that such a system would 'stimulate green technologies' and would be a 'profit-making business' for U.S. industries that rise to the challenge of addressing global warming.
“The top presidential candidates have differing views on climate change and what must be done to avert disaster,” Karpinski concluded. “We urge responsible journalists to explain these differences in their reporting and to follow the lead of Stephanopoulos and others who are pressing the candidates on this critical issue.”
A complete transcript of the show can be found here: http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Story?id=4304502&page=3
Total for 5 Top Political Reporters updated 2/18/2008
Number of Interviews & Debates: 190
Number of Questions: 3,201
Questions That Mention Global Warming: 8
Global Warming Related Questions: 29
Wolf Blitzer (CNN--Late Edition)
Total Number of Interviews & Debates: 49
Total Number of Questions: 481
Questions That Mention Global Warming: 2
Global Warming Related Questions: 4
Tim Russert (NBC--Meet the Press)
Total Number of Interviews & Debates: 28
Total Number of Questions: 956
Questions That Mention Global Warming: 2
Global Warming Related Questions: 13
Bob Schieffer (CBS--Face the Nation)
Total Number of Interviews & Debates: 32
Total Number of Questions: 319
Questions That Mention Global Warming: 0
Global Warming Related Questions: 2
George Stephanopoulos (ABC--This Week)
Total Number of Interviews & Debates: 48
Total Number of Questions: 844
Questions That Mention Global Warming: 2
Global Warming Related Questions: 6
Chris Wallace (Fox News--Fox News Sunday)
Total Number of Interviews & Debates: 33
Total Number of Questions: 601
Questions That Mention Global Warming: 2
Global Warming Related Questions: 4
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LCV, the nation’s independent voice for the environment, engages in public education, lobbying and accountability to turn environmental values into public policy. LCV has made global warming and America’s energy future a central focus of its activities in Congress and in the 2008 election cycle.
