Has Obama seen the light?

[Nynus]

Jesus H. Tap Dancing Christ! It's about fucking time!

The Associated Press

Washington » President Barack Obama on Friday scrapped his administration’s controversial plans to tighten smog rules, bowing to the demands of congressional Republicans and some business leaders.

Obama overruled the Environmental Protection Agency and directed administrator Lisa Jackson to withdraw the proposed regulation to reduce concentrations of smog’s main ingredient, in part because of the importance of reducing regulatory burdens and uncertainty for businesses at a time of rampant uncertainty about an unsteady economy.

The announcement came shortly after a new government report on private sector employment showed that businesses essentially added no new jobs last month — and that the jobless rate remained stuck at a historically high 9.1 percent.

The withdrawal of the proposed regulation marks the latest in a string of retreats by Obama in the face of Republican opposition. Last December, he shelved, at least until the end of 2012, his insistence that Bush-era tax cuts should no longer apply to the wealthy. Earlier this year he avoided a government shutdown by agreeing to Republican demands for budget cuts. And this summer he acceded to more than a $1 trillion in spending reductions, with more to come, as the price for an agreement to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.

A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, had muted praise for the White House, saying that withdrawal of the smog regulation was a good first step toward removing obstacles that are blocking business growth.

“But it is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to stopping Washington Democrats’ agenda of tax hikes, more government ‘stimulus’ spending, and increased regulations, which are all making it harder to create more American jobs,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said.

Major industry groups had lobbied hard for the White House to abandon the smog regulation, and applauded Friday’s decision.

“The president’s decision is good news for the economy and Americans looking for work. EPA’s proposal would have prevented the very job creation that President Obama has identified as his top priority,” said Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute.

It ain't the 'magic key' but it's a good start.

Good job Mr. President.

[billybob]

and to think. I didn't believe Obama had even seen the tunnel, much less the light.

[Nynus]

Oh, there are ulterior motives involved. But I still applaud him for what he did, and for his stated intentions.





Ok, I'm over it now.

This is the set-up. Obama's looking for the payoff in his job's speech. He's going to point to scrapping this single EPA regulation as one of many steps his administration is taking in order to let businesses get back to hiring. He's going to say that his administration has been, and will continue to look at regulations that "don't make sense."

While he's holding the squeeky toy with his right hand, his left hand will be trying to pick the tax payers pockets again.

Roads, bridges, more unemployment benefits, and 'investment' in the future will be the knife that cuts the purse.

An of course when Obama repackages his old ideas as new, he has to come up with new phrases to sell these dried up worthless bullshit.

Expect to see a lot of talk in the next couple of days, and especially in his "Jobs Speech" about "Bi-partisian issues that have been accepted by both sides of the aisle in the past." Another key phrase coming to a teleprompter near you will be "These issues, that by historical standards would have broad bipartisan support, are essential to the welfare of our nation." And this one's always fun, "These proposals should have bipartisan support, and have had bipartisan support in the past. They are, by any reasonable and objective standard, pro-growth, pro-job creation, and can be acted on right away by both sides of the aisle."

In other words -- If it wasn't for those terrorists from the Tea Party holding the country hostage, we'd be back to business as usual and not have these headaches.

In my humble opinion, just because both sides did something in the past, doesn't mean it wasn't fucked up.