Perhaps I was too kind. The NYTimes editorial today:
Given Mr. Bush’s history of denial and obstructionism when it comes to climate change, there are good reasons to be cynical about this sudden enthusiasm [for action on global warming], coming as it does on the eve of the meeting of the Group of 8 industrialized nations.
The European Union’s chief environmental minister, Stavros Dimas:
The declaration by
President Bush basically restates the U.S. classic line on climate change — no mandatory reductions, no carbon trading and vaguely expressed objectives.
Dana Milbank, on the scene at the White House for the Washington Post, has doubts:
…the plan the White House outlined yesterday listed no concrete targets or dates, no enforcement mechanism and no penalties for noncompliance. It also wouldn’t take effect until four years after Bush leaves office. It was, rather, a call to spend the final 18 months of the Bush presidency forming an aspirational goal.
Matt Yglesias does make the point I was trying to make, albeit more succintly:
Politically, though, it’s always significant when an issue shifts from the category of things Republicans are willing to admit they don’t care about to things they feel compelled to pretend they care about.
But Getty Images catches Bush smirking before his climate change speech.
I’m depressed.
Kit Stolz 