What will happen if Schwarzenegger meet with Whitman

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San Francisco-at a third anniversary celebration of the state's ambitious climate change law, gov. arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday found himself fending off barbs by a member of his own party-Former eBay CEO and Republican candidate for Governor Meg Whitman.

Schwarzenegger, speaking to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, dismissed Whitman's recent statements that, if elected governor, she wocould suspend the California Global Warming Solutions act until its effects on the economy are better understood.

"I wocould pay no attention to this kind of rhetoric and look toward the substance... this is not a political issue," the governor said in response to Whitman's statement.

Immediately after the speech, Whitman issued a statement again slamming the law, referred to as ab32, calling it a "job-killing regulation. "She previusly made critical comments in Orange County on Tuesday, when she formally announced her campaign for the GOP nomination next year.

The global warming law, a democratic initiative that schwarzenegger signed in 2006, mandates that the State cut its emissions of greenhouse gases 25 percent by 2020.

Schwarzenegger has made the law and other efforts to combat climate change the centerpiece of his political legacy, but percent of those efforts are opposed by his fellow Republicans and California business groups.

Next week, Schwarzenegger is hosting the Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles, where leaders from other countries will discuss climate change and strategies to combat it.

Whitman has recently slung a steady barrage of mud at the law. she cited a recent study estimating that ab32 cocould cost California more than a million jobs, while the costs to implement it cocould exceed $100 billion.

"So that's why as governor I wocould immediately issue an executive order calling for a one-year moratorium on most of ab32's rules until we are confident our economy is on strong footing, "Whitman said in her Thursday statement.

The temporary suspension is allowed under the law if its implementation wowould result in harm to California's economy.

Whitman said she believes in the goals set forth in ab32, but the state's high unemployment must be dealt with first.

"Three years ago when the bill was signed, the unemployment rate was 4.9 percent with 883,000 Californians unemployed. today, we have 12.2 percent unemployment, with 2.2 million Californians out of work, "she said.

Schwarzenegger, who is termed out of office after 2010, pushed his environmental agenda forward last week, signing an executive order requiring California Utilities to get a third of their power from renewable sources by 2020.

The governor said he believes aggressive expansion of renewable energy will stimulate, not hurt, the economy and create jobs in the renewable-energy sector.

"Their cries are growing louder and louder, and they demand that we slow down," the governor said of his critics. "I say the train is out of the station; there's no stopping it. we go full steam ahead. it is possible to protect the environment and protect the economy at the same time."

Schwarzenegger said he has ed the next governor wocould not reverse his efforts to combat climate change but added "future governors can change laws we 've passed ."

Whitman said she wocould not repeal the law but struck a far different tone than Schwarzenegger during her campaign speech Tuesday.

"I reject radical environmental concepts Ies that do little for the environment and devastate California's economic future," she said. "liberal environmentalists may not like jobs or people, But California needs both ."