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Jerry Brown to Republican Visitors: Welcome, 'Merchants of Destruction!'

California's governor rolls out the un-welcome mat for Republican presidential candidates arriving in his state for Wednesday night's debate.
California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during a news conference to announce emergency drought legislation on March 19, 2015 in Sacramento, California.

California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during a news conference to announce emergency drought legislation on March 19, 2015 in Sacramento, California.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
James Nash

As he struggles to bring under control devastating wildfires that he blames at least partly on global warming, California Governor Jerry Brown has an un-welcome message for the Republican presidential candidates gathering in his state for a debate Wednesday.

“I would challenge these Republican presidential candidates to speak to what is certainly one of the fundamental issues of our time,” Brown said in an interview. “They fancy themselves defenders of life but they actually are willing merchants of destruction. I would like to see them be honest about climate change.”