This is a “debate”?

(Fox News) — Every presidential candidate is going to come into the 2012 race with baggage. But Newt Gingrich has what, for primary voters, could be a doozy in his closet — three years ago, he cut an ad with Nancy Pelosi for Al Gore’s climate change group.

The ad, in which Gingrich and Pelosi don awkward smiles while talking about clean-energy solutions, is coming back to haunt him, along with other statements he’s made about climate change, as he officially launches his presidential bid. While Democrats have a long and winding list of grievances against the former House speaker, his past environmentalism could cause problems on the political right. . . .

“Newt does not apologize for trying to persuade his ideological opponents that his conservative solutions are the best solutions,” spokesman Rick Tyler said in an email. “His attempt to work with Speaker Pelosi is another testament to Gingrich’s willingness to debate his conservative solutions with liberals, in this case Pelosi. As it turned out, Pelosi . . . and Gingrich still disagree about how to best protect the environment. But Gingrich will never shy away from debating those on the left on issues like the environment, education and healthcare that they think they own.”

The 2008 ad was cut for Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection. It showed Pelosi and Gingrich sitting very close on a couch outside the U.S. Capitol.

“We don’t always see eye to eye, do we Newt?” Pelosi says in the ad.

“No, but we do agree our country must take action to address climate change,” Gingrich responds.