Shumlin, who is stepping down in January, suggested that Scott who is running for governor, had shifted his position on climate change to broaden his appeal in a general election contest with Democrat Sue Minter.
“That’s the Republican approach to climate change, is that they deny it, they say that it’s not happening or that it’s not man-made, and they get a lot of support from the petroleum industry when they do that,” said Shumlin, a Democrat.
“Donald Trump’s been using that line from the beginning of the campaign, and it worked for him. Phil Scott used it for his Republican primary and it seems to have worked for him,” Shumlin added.
On several occasions, Scott has said he believes climate change is real, but has expressed doubts about whether its causes are predominantly man-made — something most scientists believe to be the case.
Scott wrote in a forum hosted by Vermont Public Radio on the website Reddit in July that “I believe the science is real. Climate change is happening. And I believe as well it is a combination of man-made contributions as well as a natural phenomenon.”
In an interview with radio host Mike Smith the previous month on WDEV, Scott, when asked whether climate change was real and man-made, said, “I believe that the science is real, that the climate is changing; whether it’s man-made or not is almost immaterial.”
When asked to respond to Shumlin’s comments, the Scott campaign doubled down on the immateriality of what’s causing climate change.
“Phil has consistently said that climate change is real and the science is real. Phil has also consistently acknowledged human activity is a factor,” said campaign spokeswoman Brittney Wilson in an emailed statement.
“In order to find solutions we just have to agree the climate is changing, so it seems immaterial to debate the cause. We look forward to working together to find solutions on how we overcome this serious challenge,” Wilson added.
The governor made his remarks about Scott’s views on climate change at a news conference Thursday, addressing reporters for the first time since the Aug. 9 primary. Shumlin had recently returned from his vacation home in Nova Scotia.
Shumlin took the opportunity to endorse Democratic gubernatorial nominee Sue Minter, his former Secretary of Transportation, and Sen. David Zuckerman, P/D-Chittenden, who secured both parties’ nomination for lieutenant governor earlier this month.
“I think Sue Minter and David Zuckerman will be great governors and lieutenant governors, exactly what Vermont needs to be fiscally responsible and continue to manage budgets carefully — I hope not raise broad-based taxes, because as you know I firmly believe that they’re high enough in Vermont,” Shumlin said.
Asked if Zuckerman, who has called for higher taxes on the wealthy, could be trusted to keep a lid on broad-based taxes, the governor downplayed the role of lieutenant governors.
“We all know that lieutenant governors aren’t governors. The rubber meets the road with governors. I think he’ll bring attention to the issues I agree with him on,” he said.
Those issues include legalizing marijuana and advocating for farmers, Shumlin said. Zuckerman is an organic farmer and operates Full Moon Farm with his wife in Hinesburg.
Shumlin said he did not plan to take an active role campaigning for either Democratic candidate at the top of the ticket unless they asked for his assistance.
“I’m a strong believer that current governors should stay out of the way, and let the candidates make their cases,” he said. “I support Sue and I support David, but I’m going to do what Howard Dean did for me, which is stay out of the way and let me make the case.”
The governor said he has not received a request from Minter asking him to join her on the campaign trail. Molly Ritner, Sue Minter’s campaign manager, did not return a call requesting comment on what, if any, role the campaign has in mind for Shumlin.
Conventional wisdom among political observes is that Minter and other top Democrats will seek to distance themselves from Shumlin, who narrowly avoided defeat to Republican Scott Milne in 2014.
A VPR/Castleton poll from February showed Shumlin with a 37 percent approval rating. That was before the Jay Peak EB-5 scandal broke in April, raising questions about Shumlin’s oversight of the program.
A recent Seven Days political cartoon captured the feeling among pundits, showing Shumlin wearing a tuxedo with exaggerated coattails looking wistfully behind him at an open expanse. The message: Nobody is looking to ride his coattails to victory this fall.
Shumlin appeared to accept his fate Thursday, telling reporters this election has little to do with him.
But that’s not how the Vermont GOP sees the election. Republicans have consistently tried to tie Minter and other Democrats up and down the ballot to Shumlin and his legacy.
“The question for Vermonters is, of these two candidates running, who’s going to do the best job for Vermont. It’s got nothing to do with me. I’m history. I’ll be trotting off into the sunset,” Shumlin said.
“It’s time to focus on who and what will be next, and that ain’t gonna be Pete Shumlin,” he said.
The governor is already making moves toward the proverbial sunset. He told reporters that before taking his vacation — but not before he voted in the primary — he sold his East Montpelier home.
Shumlin is currently in the process of building a new home in Westminster, near Putney where he grew up, he said.
The governor said he made sure that by voting early he was still able to sell his home and make the move without violating the residency requirement.
He may have cast a decisive vote in Washington County, before moving away. He told reporters he had voted for the three candidates in that race whom he was most familiar with — and did not support Deputy State’s Attorney Ashley Hill.
Hill and Francis Brooks, the former sergeant-at-arms, went through a recount on Friday. There were four contested ballots for the final seat in the three-member district. A judge ruled Brooks was the winner.
