Obama aide hints climate will stay in campaign background

A spokesman for President Obama’s reelection campaign suggested Thursday that climate change is unlikely to take center stage in the 2012 White House battle, noting that Obama’s contrast with GOP rival Mitt Romney is already apparent.

“Clearly [climate change] is something that is important to the administration, but right now we are obviously going to be focusing on jobs and the economy and talking about what our contrast is,” said Tom Reynolds.

Climate change has played little role in the Obama-Romney match-up, disappointing advocates including Al Gore.

But Reynolds — on a call with reporters scheduled to bash Romney's energy plans — noted that Obama has taken “historic” steps on curbing carbon pollution, other environmental matters and cutting oil import reliance.

“Clearly that stands in contrast with Mitt Romney,” Reynolds said. “Voters that are concerned about that issue are going to make that choice in November, and we think that choice is pretty clear.”

White House-backed cap-and-trade and energy legislation cleared the House in 2009 but sputtered thereafter. However, the Obama administration has moved ahead — albeit slower than many activists had hoped — with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) climate regulations.

Administration officials have also touted the greenhouse gas benefits of rules that have substantially toughened auto mileage standards for model years 2012-2016, and more stringent standards for 2017-2025 are en route.

Romney now opposes cap-and-trade, and his campaign platform also calls for nullifying EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

Obama, on the stump in recent months, has touted his green energy initiatives while largely steering clear of addressing global warming head-on.

The League of Conservation Voters launched a petition this week to pressure Jim Lehrer of PBS, who will moderate the first presidential debate Oct. 3, to ask about climate.