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"Year after year, decade after decade, we've chosen delay over decisive action." (money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/bbdp/obama-pushes-for-energy-independence/317308)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/Barrack_Obama_taking_the_oath_of_Office.jpgBen Feller – AP – Jan. 26, 2009

Foreign Oil off our soil...has a nice ring to it. -- Ed.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama took aim Monday at the lofty but long-elusive goal of making the nation more energy independent, ordering reviews that could lead to tougher auto emission standards in states and higher pressure on automakers to produce more fuel-efficient cars.

Attacking a Bush administration policy, Obama directed the Environmental Protection Agency to re-examine whether California and other states should be allowed to have tougher auto emission standards to combat a build up of greenhouse gases.

Obama also directed his administration to get moving on new fuel-efficiency guidelines for the auto industry in time to cover 2011 model-year cars.

"For the sake of our security, our economy and our planet, we must have the courage and commitment to change," Obama said in his first formal event in the ornate East Room of the White House.

"It will be the policy of my administration," he said... http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/bbdp/obama-pushes-for-energy-independence/317308

I've always had the idea that whatever state has the cleanest emissions laws should be the basis for the national standard.

"Year after year, decade after decade, we've chosen delay over decisive action," Obama said. "Rigid ideology has overruled sound science. Special interests have overshadowed common sense. Rhetoric has not led to the hard work needed to achieve results -- and our leaders raise their voices each time there's a spike on gas prices, only to grow quiet when the price falls at the pump."

WHOA!

IT IS ABOUT TIME THAT WE CHANGE!

I AM SO PLEASED TO SEE THE CHANGE!

TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGING!

I hate to say the following words...I think Bush was right....at least about a national standard. However, he was very wrong not to look at what California was proposing and implement. The auto industry needed to be ahead of the curve, right now they are behind it and about to slide off the road. Good thing the goverenment tow truck is there to pull them back on.

That said, any state that wants to propose a change should give the feds 90 days to 6 months to implement the change themselves before they attempt to pass in locally. However if the feds don't have the will, then the states can lead the way.

I'm sure the administration would like to implement one strict emissions standard for every state, however, One thing cannot please everyone. States will react harshly to such an implementation.

I fully support the principle of federalism, as it is the bedrock of our structure of government.

However it is not "federalism" to have the people and government of a single state dictate terms to the entire rest of the country. If that's what we're doing, I would far prefer the EPA to tell CARB to take a hike and set a single national standard. The nation as a whole needs to be represented at the table when regulations affecting the entire nation are being drafted.

(Which is not to say I support more regulation -- in fact, I say that it is far more honest and fair to just raise the gas tax instead of playing these regulatory games.)