New York mayor doubts intelligence of Republican candidates

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Photo / AP

The mayor of New York City has expressed his disdain for the intelligence of Republican presidential candidates.

Mike Bloomberg used an international economic forum at Columbia University to question the intelligence of candidates "who don't believe in science".

"We have presidential candidates who don't believe in science," said Bloomberg. "I mean, just think about it, can you imagine a company of any size in the world where the CEO said 'oh I don't believe in science' and that person surviving to the end of that day? Are you kidding me? It's mind-boggling!"

Although Bloomberg refused to single out the dubious Republican candidates directly, only two of the seven candidates has publicly expressed his belief in evolution and global warming.

"I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy," former Utah governor Jon Huntsman wrote on Twitter.

Republican front-runner Mitt Romney has also stood up for evolution in the past, refusing to denounce it during a 2007 debate. In 2004, Romeny introduced a Climate Protection Plan in Masachusetts, billed as "an initial step in a coordinated effort to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases."

But the rest of the Republican field claims climate change is a hoax.

Herman Cain told CBS in June that "the real science doesn't say that we have any major crisis or threat when it comes to climate change."

In August, Rick Perry claimed that "there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling into their projects".

Michele Bachman ageed. "I think all these issues have to be settled on the base of real science, not manufactured science."

- HERALD ONLINE