Governor Brown didn't exactly have arms open wide for the arriving cadre of Republican candidates in the state this week.

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."

As would we all, Governor. But since the odds of that are slim to none, I'll just enjoy the idea of our governor welcoming Republican candidates as "merchants of destruction."

I loved him the first time he was governor and I still do.