This weekend’s question is inspired by the Obama administration’s dreadful decision to do nothing on ozone pollution.

This decision is indicative of what we can expect from the president for the foreseeable future for a few reasons:

1. The decision was Obama’s alone —  Like the upcoming Keystone XL tar sands pipeline decision, Congressional approval isn’t needed for the President on EPA rules.
2. Unlike the pipeline, whose biggest impacts (on climate) would be decades from now and spread over the entire human race, the decision to do nothing on ozone pollution means millions of Americans — including kids, elderly, and the infirm —  will suffer needlessly in the near future.
3. Relatedly, if your administration can’t figure out how to do messaging to defend clean air for kids, reduced deaths and hospital visits and asthma attacks from air pollution — stuff that is wildly popular  with Americans, especially independents — how precisely are you ever going to do messaging on global warming? Oh wait, I know, you aren’t.

Those who believe there is some underlying political brilliance in this administration — some clever strategy about to emerge that embraces and defend progressivism, particularly on the environment — no longer have a case.  [After the 2012 election, yeah, that's the ticket.]  Aaugh!

On the other hand, before progressives bail entirely on our feckless president, consider that the Intrade prediction (i.e. betting) market has Texas Gov. Rick Perry with a 38% chance of being the Republican nominee (ahead of Romney with 30%) — and Obama with whopping 50.3% chance of getting reelected.

And consider what Michael Gerson (Bush’s former speechwriter) points out in the WashPost of “Perry’s campaign against the New Deal“:

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by Jamie Henn, TarSandsAction.org

WASHINGTON– The largest environmental civil disobedience in decades concluded at the White House this morning with organizers pledging to escalate a nationwide campaign to push President Obama to deny the permit for a new tar sands oil pipeline.

“Given yesterday’s baffling cave on ozone standards, the need for a fighting environmental movement has never been more clear,” said Bill McKibben, who spearheaded the protest. “That movement is being born right here in front of the White House and reverberating around the country.”

The proposed Keystone XL pipeline has become the most important environmental decision facing President Obama before the 2012 election and sparked nationwide opposition, from Nebraska ranchers to former Obama campaigners. A petition with 617,428 names opposing the pipeline will be delivered to the White House today.

Over the course of the two-week sit-in 1,252 people were arrested, including top climate scientists, landowners from Texas and Nebraska, former Obama for America staffers, First Nations leaders from Canada, and notable individuals including Bill McKibben, former White House official Gus Speth, NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen, actor Daryl Hannah, filmmaker Josh Fox, and author Naomi Klein.

“Back home we are fighting to protect our land and water. This week, we decided to bring that fight to the President’s doorstep,” said Jane Kleeb, Director of BOLD Nebraska, who led a delegation of Nebraskans who were arrested this morning. “We are acting on our values and expect our President to act as well.”

McKibben also announced at the protest that the movement will continue organizing, with a Phase Two announcement within 48 hours. Click here to be the first to know details when they’re announced: www.tarsandsaction.org/next-steps.

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You may have missed the amazing stories from Think Progress:

Cantor: No Disaster Relief Funding For Hurricane Irene Without Budget Cuts — and that means no funding without Massive Cuts To First Responders.

Here’s the cartoon (via Slate):

Here’s another extreme weather cartoon, with the climate connection:
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