Jeb Bush is keeping Sunshine State governors in the global-warming crosshairs with comments this week in which he called the science surrounding the issue "convoluted."
On the campaign trail last year, Gov. Rick Scott demurred when asked about climate change, saying, "I'm not a scientist."
Former Florida Gov. Bush isn't a scientist either --- he earned a bachelor's degree in Latin American studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
But the wonkish Bush, who's exploring a run for president, isn't as skittish as Scott about the matter. Echoing views expressed earlier, Bush conceded that the "climate is changing" but insisted that the cause is unknown.
"I don't think the science is clear of what percentage is man-made and what percentage is natural. It's convoluted," he told about 100 supporters at a house party Wednesday in Bedford, N.H., according to numerous media reports.
Bush was responding to a question about President Barack Obama's remarks earlier in the day in which Obama referred to climate change as a "serious threat" to national security.
"For the people to say the science is decided on this is really arrogant, to be honest with you," Bush went on. "It's this intellectual arrogance that now you can't have a conversation about it, even. The climate is changing. We need to adapt to that reality."
Democrats quickly blasted Bush, saying in a press release that 97 percent of climate scientists "agree that human activity has led to climate change."
"Ninety-seven percent. But Jeb Bush thinks they're wrong. Who's being intellectually arrogant now?" Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Holly Shulman said.
The as-yet-undeclared candidate Bush could be tossing some red meat to the right in what is expected to be a crowded GOP presidential primary. An April Gallup survey found that two-thirds of conservative Republicans believe that effects from global warming would never be felt and that climate change is mostly due to natural causes.
Bush encouraging "conversation" about the issue comes in contrast to Scott, who sparked national headlines when enviros accused him of putting a gag order on state officials by forbidding the use of the words "climate change."
Scott denied the accusations. But it took several weeks before Scott's top environmental official, Jonathan Steverson, possibly trying to put the rumors to rest, repeatedly uttered the phrase during a confirmation hearing in April.
