[emmett]

1) I agree with you that the parent comment is not preempting anything, it's just a political jab.

2) You're simply wrong that the name change to "climate change" was a leftist thing. Luntz is a chief political strategist for the right wing in America:

The phrase "global warming" should be abandoned in favour of "climate change", Mr Luntz says, and the party should describe its policies as "conservationist" instead of "environmentalist", because "most people" think environmentalists are "extremists" who indulge in "some pretty bizarre behaviour... that turns off many voters".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2003/mar/04/usnews.cli...