A heckler interrupted Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney during a rally Thursday in Virginia Beach, Va., shouting "climate change caused Sandy" before he was booed at and escorted away from the event.
The man was standing near the front of the crowd and waited until a few minutes into Romney's speech to interrupt, just after the candidate urged his supporters to donate to victims of superstorm Sandy. The man held up a sign that read "End Climate Silence." The crowd shouted "U-S-A" and one man pulled away the sign. The heckler was then removed from the room.
Romney's policies on climate change -- or lack thereof -- are under renewed scrutiny in light of superstorm Sandy, which hit the east coast this week and caused major damage. Romney canceled campaign rallies after the storm hit and instead gathered supporters to a campaign-lite event gathering donations to send to those impacted by the storm.
Still, Democrats are pointing out this week that Romney has been dismissive of efforts to slow climate change.
"President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet," Romney said in his nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. "My promise ... is to help you and your family."
Former President Bill Clinton referred to that comment while stumping for Obama on Tuesday. "[Romney] said, 'Oh, you're going to turn back the seas.' In my part of America, we would like it if someone could've done that yesterday," Clinton said.
During the interruption on Thursday, Romney stood silently as the protester yelled, then returned to his stump speech.
"This is an election of great consequence," he continued.
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