Hope and Change.

Neither apply to the appallingly right-centre Obama administration.  Unless of course you count change for the worse:

Obama to Americans - This is what is important, not your health.

“President Barack Obama is sacking a controversial proposed regulation tightening government smog standards, bowing to the demands of congressional Republicans and some business leaders.”

Oh fantastic, because business has its knickers in a twist and is busily clutching its pearls. The idea that air should be something you can’t cut with a knife has been pushed to the background once again.  Why?  Oh… the usual.

“In a statement Friday, Obama said he had ordered Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson to withdraw the proposal, in part because of the importance of reducing regulatory burdens and uncertainty for businesses at a time of rampant uncertainty about an unsteady economy.

What else can we fire down the shitcan because of the uncertain economy?  Certainty is created when you act in a consist manner over time.  You would think that certainty would have been established by now as capitulating to the whims of the business class tops the O-genda for O-bama each and every day.

“The withdrawal of the proposed EPA rule comes two days after the White House identified seven such regulations that it said would cost private business at least $1 billion each. The proposed smog standard was estimated to cost anywhere between $19 billion and $90 billion, depending on how strict it would be.

The smog standard was among the Obama administration regulations that House Republicans said this week they would try to block this fall.”

Mmm…I’d like my smog sandwich with some mayo, maybe some coal dust as well.

“The move is sure to raise the ire of environmentalists, a core Obama constituency. In his statement, Obama said he was still committed to protecting public health and the environment.

“I will continue to stand with the hardworking men and women at the EPA as they strive every day to hold polluters accountable and protect our families from harmful pollution,” he said.”

Orwell for the lulz… :(