On the G-8 summit:

From Friday’s “All-Stars.”

Look, the G-7 had a reason. Then we asked Russians to join in the ’90s–as a gesture–who don’t belong. They are not economic influences or powerhouses in any way. The G-7 originally was about economics, and there it made sense. It was kind of a way to coordinate economic policy.
Right now, it’s useless. Having the Russians in [the G-8], particularly after the invasion of Georgia last year–leaving them in made it into a farce. And the G-20 is a larger farce.
But Obama compounded it because he is a man who spoke about how he is going to unite the world, and has all these woolly internationalist notions. He goes to the summit of the G-8. He precedes it by trying to ram a cap-and-trade energy tax through the Congress which he knows is going to hurt the American economy in the name of climate change, in the name of demonstrating American leadership, and what does he get at that summit? No support from any of our allies.
The Russians explicitly say they’re not going to do anything on climate change if it impinges on their economy. And the Chinese and Indians say that as well, which means that anything he does at home on cap-and-trade will hurt us and do nothing about the emission of greenhouse gases.