Opinion: Candidate revolt

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The presidential candidates -- both Democratic and Republican -- have taken umbrage previously to being asked to stake a position during a debate with a show of hands. At today’s GOP face-off in Des Moines, Fred Thompson flat-out staged a revolt.

Asked by moderator Carolyn Washburn to demonstrate, by raising their hands, whether they believed global warming was a serious problem caused by human activity, Thompson spoke out, asking for a minute to answer the question.

Denied, he snapped: ‘You want a show of hands. I’m not giving it to you.’

A fractured discussion followed, with Duncan Hunter making a point to stress that, in his view, human activity is partially -- not totally -- fueling global warming.

-- Don Frederick