Just kidding. He didn’t make one of his Iran-style missteps.

But when a Republican campaigns on an environmental issue, it makes news. To that effect, John McCain signaled a split with both the Bush administration and environmentalists in a major global warming speech today.

The Arizona Senator and presidential nominee declares climate change undeniable and urgent, saying that the U.S. hasn’t acted quickly enough.

George W. Bush famously refused to sign the Kyoto global warming accord. McCain pledges to return America to international negotiations.

In the new campaign ad below, which he will begin airing this week, McCain places himself between what he describes as two warring factions on climate change. He paints it not only as an environmental issue, but a national security problem.

John McCain says he would set limits on greenhouse gases and allow the sale of rights of excess emissions - known as a cap and trade system.

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The long-term goal may be saving Earth, but a short-term one for Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is winning the backing of Al Gore.

The former Vice President, who won a Nobel prize for his work to combat rising temperatures, is also one of the superdelegates and one of the most influential Democratic Party leaders likely to determine who wins the nomination.

So the dueling candidates praise Gore during campaign speeches, offer up roles for him in future administrations, and, of course, keep in touch.

“They both call. And I appreciate that fact,” Gore said on 60 Minutes.

Barack Obama says he keeps in regular contact with Al Gore and has pledged to make him a major player on global warming in an Obama administration.

“I will make a commitment that Al Gore will be at the table and play a central part in us figuring out how we solve this problem,” Obama said.

Hillary Clinton says she does not know whether Al Gore wanted to get back into government but is certain the American people would welcome it.

“I am very dependent upon the work that Al Gore has done for so many years on behalf of climate change,” the former First Lady said.

Al Gore’s spokeswoman, Kalee Kreider, declined to comment on the Obama offer but was complimentary about all three of the presidential candidates.

“Former Vice President Gore thinks that both candidates are very strong. Both of them have offered plans to address the worsening climate crisis … as has Senator John McCain,” she said. “It’s a real turnaround to have candidates on both sides of the aisle offering, you know, solutions and plans to the climate crisis.”

Gore, who narrowly lost the 2000 election to George W. Bush, has dedicated most of his professional life since then to fighting climate change.

Although he may not be eager to get back into the political fray as the tight race between Obama and Clinton rages on, Gore definitely has an agenda: to make certain that global warming on the top of the president’s priority list.

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