The president today told the EPA not to continue with action on new ozone standards until 2013 (January 19, perhaps?). An outright cancellation of the rule-making would have been better, but this illustrates that the president is trying to juggle the certainty of destroying many thousands of jobs with the demands of Big Green (who would rather like to see those jobs destroyed). In fact, the main implication of this delay is that the president clearly rejects Lisa Jackson’s outrageous claims that environmental regulations lead to more jobs. If they did create jobs he wouldn’t have taken this action.
My colleague Myron Ebell spells out the political calculations:
What is shameful about the President’s decision to delay the new ozone rule is that it’s all about improving his chances of being re-elected and has nothing to do with the economic damage that the rule would do. The fact that the President still wants to go ahead after he gets re-elected with a regulation that has been estimated to cost $1 trillion a year shows that he could care less about the U. S. economy and the millions of people who have lost their jobs.
In other words, he wants to wait until the economy recovers before he starts destroying it again.
— Iain Murray is the author of Stealing You Blind: How Government Fatcats Are Getting Rich Off of You.
You mean he wants to be reelected before he starts destroying the economy again.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOr, if he loses, implement it prior to his leaving office. Expect to see a lot more of these kinds of actions. Obama is, as Thomas Sowell reminds us, a very predictable man.
But you know what is really sad? The spectacle of all the pseudo-con pundits who hang out at various sites jumping up and down shouting: you see, this proves Obama has found moderation, just as we said he would.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI have a hard time believing anyone with much of a soap box to stand on is jumping up and down on it saying this particular move means Obama gets it in a way he didn't before.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBut sounds like you've seen this going on. No joke--I'd welcome pointers to some places where that's going on.
And yeah if they are saying that they're easily mocked.
If Barry is intent on make the 2012 choice even more clear cut, who am I to argue?
The heck with it...put it all out there and make it all effective January, 2013. Why not?
"If you elect me, right after my second inauguration:"
- There will be massive tax hike for the "rich".
- CO2 will be declared a poisonous gas.
- Israel will be renamed to Palestine.
- Gasoline will be taxed into oblivion.
- Health Care will be nationalized.
- Fat, sugar, and salt will be outlawed.
- Gay marriage will be mandatory.
- Even unions, themselves, will be unionized.
- Wal-Mart will be categorized as a terrorist organization.
- CEO's will make minimum wage, which is okay because that will be $75/hour.
- The borders will be open and every illegal will be made a citizen.
- Anything not classified as "vegetable or mineral" will be added to the Endangered Species List.
- Coal will be limited for use only in conservatives' Holiday Stockings.
Let 'er rip, Barry, I say!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIn other words, he has to destroy the village to save it?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDo liberals think that postponing a costly $1 trillion regulation by two years is going to entice people to invest and hire now?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI differ from Myron in that I would argue that Obama could *not* care less about the U.S. economy, jobs, etc. But otherwise I agree with his assessment.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf this is about his getting re-elected, then what, praytell, is he going to do with a second term?
If he can't accomplish what he wants now, what the he** is he going to do with another term?
I know I'm naive, but I just don't get it.
captcha: oh, lord
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI honestly cannot fathom what the man will run upon to justify a second term. Where - anywhere - is he going to gain a single vote over 2008?
The racist vote is already decided - he'll get 97% of the black vote and 3% of the cracker vote. The former can't go up and the latter can't go down. As for the vast majority in the middle - the non-cracker white and Hispanic vote? His supposed "post-racial" administration has been anything but that. He has done nothing to make gains in this area whereas he has done plenty to cause movement in the opposite direction. Novelty and guilt have both worn thin.
All that before we even talk about a single issue. What about those? I can't think of one thing he'd dare mention in one of his own commercials.
It will come down to scaring old people (+) vs. a wrecked economy (-). Good luck with that.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObama is an example of life imitating art.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe president is the character of Kathy Bates in the movie "Misery," with James Caan.
Obama breaks the bones of the economy, helps it heal by deferring some senseless regulation, then prepares to break its bones all over again upon reelection with more regulation.
Scary.
Just to inject some fact -- the Clean Air Act requires that air quality standards be reviewed every five years. For the ozone rules that means 2013 because it was last changed in 2008 during the last year of the Bush administration. EPA was proposing to revise the ozone standard earlier than required. What the President is saying is that the current standard should stay in effect until the Clean Air Act actually requires review. He hasn't said anything about what the standard should be adopted then. Presumably all of this should make The Corner happy. Oh wait....
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRE: "Presumably all of this should make The Corner happy."
Is BHO out of office yet? "Oh wait", indeed.
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