Environmental group launches campaign to unseat Michigan congressman

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Representative Dan Benishek Photo: benishek.house.gov

The Washington Post reports that Michigan Congressman Dan Benishek, R-Crystal Falls, is one of the League of Conservation Voters’ “Flat Earth Five.”

The group that promotes pro-environmental policies and candidates targeted Benishek in a $1.5 million campaign to unseat five House climate change deniers in November. Benisheks district encompasses the Upper Peninsula and the northeast Lower Peninsula.  Democrat Gary McDowell, who’s running against Benishek, says greenhouse gases contribute to climate change, the Post reported.

“Representative Benishek’s extreme views put him at odds with scientists, his constituents and the Pentagon, which has called climate change a national security issue,” said Jeff Gohringer, national press secretary for the league. “He has had some rather outlandish statements regarding climate change.”

The organization references an iCaucus interview Benishek gave in 2010 to iCaucus, an organization that vets candidates on their conservative values. Benishek called the scientific research on climate change into question when asked about the issue, and said “it’s just some scheme.”

“It’s all baloney,” he said in the interview. “To spend trillions of our dollars on this unproven science stuff is ridiculous.”

The response troubled the League of Conservation Voters.

“We can’t count on him to solve a problem that he can’t even admit exists,” Gohringer said.

When asked about the designation, Benishek’s communications director, Raffi Williams, sent this email :

“It is troubling that Gary McDowell and his Washington allies would rather attack Dr. Benishek than explain to Northern Michigan families why he supports Nancy Pelosi’s failed policies such as the national energy tax that would destroy millions of jobs and raise gas prices. While Dr. Benishek has been fighting to help this country become energy independent now and for future generations, Gary McDowell would rather tax Northern Michigan families into the ground with his Cap and Trade boondoggle.”

The Michigan congressman joins New York Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, R- Onondaga Hill on the league’s list. Three more incumbents will be named later — one a week.

8 thoughts on “Environmental group launches campaign to unseat Michigan congressman

  1. hahahahahaha

    @Michael, As if an economist cares about the earth benefit of cap & trade. Besides, seems to me economists have created a whole separate fubar situtation so uh i’m sure gonna care about what they say!!!

    Tooo funny.

    @Dough – Karl needs to go work for the GOP ;-)

  2. You would do cap and trade when there are no economists on the planet that recognize it as a valid or effective solution go CO2 induced warming? All pain no gain? And you would do that why? Are you insane? Why give away money to a “cause” that will have no “effect”?

    I’m serious! Is there anyone here that can give an answer defending a position FOR cap & trade?

  3. Perhaps he’s been listening to our TV6 Global Warming Denier Weather Forecaster Karl Bohnak!

  4. Benishek is one of those Tea Party ignoramuses. During the 2010 election campaign I watched local TV coverage of Tea Party rallies and was astonished to see all the gray heads in attendance. Well, Benishek was elected by those teabaggers and then he went right to work trying to dismantle Social Security and Medicare. Moral to that, elections have consequences, and Benishek is a big one. Vote him out in Nov. before he does more damage.

  5. So who are the others besides Benishek that are climate change deniers in Congress????

  6. Benishek is a moron who should never have been elected in the first place. It is scary to think that this guy got a medical degree and practiced medicine, when he doesn’t even believe in science…….wow.

  7. Mr. Benishek won’t even acknowledge that the whole concept of “Cap and Trade” was supported by Republicans and utilities as a way to provide a market approach to dealing with greenhouse gas emissions. But now that the radical right controls the Republican Party, it is apparently against their own form of sharia law to acknowledge that problems exist, let alone promote sensible solutions.

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