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California Gov. Jerry Brown said in an interview with NBC’s "Meet the Press" that Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s position on climate change makes him “absolutely unfit to be running for office.”

Responding to comments made by Cruz on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Democratic Governor Brown said of Cruz, "That man betokens such a level of ignorance and a direct falsification of the existing scientific data. It's shocking and I think that man has rendered himself absolutely unfit to be running for office."

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A long-time environmentalist, Brown is dealing with a severe drought in California. He recently announced a $1 billion aid package to help affected residents and prepare for flooding

Brown said the drought being experienced in California could be traced to the buildup of carbon from coal and other sources, and that leaders need to take measures to prevent dire consequences.

"This is a serious matter we're experiencing in California, as kind of a foretaste. But there is no doubt that into the future, we're going to have more problems," he said.

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— Ed Demaria