So over this past weekend I’ve had something of a cold: lots of sneezing, runny nose, the works. I could have gone through several boxes of tissues, but then I came upon an old “Environmentalists for Obama” t-shirt that I bought during the 2008 campaign. It worked great! I’ll make sure to tell everyone else who has one…
And no one from the White House should criticize me. After all, if a Republican found one of those t-shirts he’d defecate on it and then burn it. So really, sticking with me is really the best of his choices.
Really, no one could have predicted…
Author: Jonathan Zasloff
Jonathan Zasloff teaches Torts, Land Use, Environmental Law, Comparative Urban Planning Law, Legal History, and Public Policy Clinic - Land Use, the Environment and Local Government. He grew up and still lives in the San Fernando Valley, about which he remains immensely proud (to the mystification of his friends and colleagues). After graduating from Yale Law School, and while clerking for a federal appeals court judge in Boston, he decided to return to Los Angeles shortly after the January 1994 Northridge earthquake, reasoning that he would gladly risk tremors in order to avoid the average New England wind chill temperature of negative 55 degrees.
Professor Zasloff has a keen interest in world politics; he holds a PhD in the history of American foreign policy from Harvard and an M.Phil. in International Relations from Cambridge University. Much of his recent work concerns the influence of lawyers and legalism in US external relations, and has published articles on these subjects in the New York University Law Review and the Yale Law Journal. More generally, his recent interests focus on the response of public institutions to social problems, and the role of ideology in framing policy responses.
Professor Zasloff has long been active in state and local politics and policy. He recently co-authored an article discussing the relationship of Proposition 13 (California's landmark tax limitation initiative) and school finance reform, and served for several years as a senior policy advisor to the Speaker of California Assembly. His practice background reflects these interests: for two years, he represented welfare recipients attempting to obtain child care benefits and microbusinesses in low income areas. He then practiced for two more years at one of Los Angeles' leading public interest environmental and land use firms, challenging poorly planned development and working to expand the network of the city's urban park system. He currently serves as a member of the boards of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (a state agency charged with purchasing and protecting open space), the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice (the leading legal service firm for low-income clients in east Los Angeles), and Friends of Israel's Environment. Professor Zasloff's other major activity consists in explaining the Triangle Offense to his very patient wife, Kathy.
View all posts by Jonathan Zasloff
Oh, I don’t know - the Reep might wear that tee shirt gleefully…
But, unless the goal is to make the place as nice as it was when the Pilgrims got here, there are going to have to be choices on how much to spend, and when. EPA is tasked generally with being the advocate for environmental rule stringency, and it’s not unexpected that the Office of the President will have to think about balance, particularly at a time like this when there is real economic distress. The idea that another set of new rules is coming in a few years makes it plausible, to me at least, that you want to give industry a chance to adapt to them without having had to spend large amounts now adapting to an interim standard.
dave schutz wrote, “…and it’s not unexpected that the Office of the President will have to think about balance, particularly at a time like this when there is real economic distress.”
Except that, as Krugman pointed out, we’re in a liquidity trap, companies are hoarding cash, so Obama’s move is actually _bad_ for the economy.
@ Dave Schutz
So because regulatory rules change, we shouldn’t bother regulating polluters, because those rules will be different some day? “But, unless the goal is to make the place as nice as it was when the Pilgrims got here,” is a straw man argument. That’s not the goal at all; having the place at least minimally livable without poisoning our kids is closer to the real goal, and Obama just eviscerated EPA’s attempts to achieve even that low standard.
What’s not unexpected is for Obama to roll over in favor of industry, since that’s largely what he’s done since day one.
I’m beginning to think that the best option for progressives at this time is a very large concerted, vocal and public effort asking Obama to step aside in 2012. A public no confidence vote if you will. It should continue right up to the Dem convention. No viable candidate will primary a sitting president. But if there’s tremendous pressure to step aside — and it works — then the field opens up for viable challengers to the reeps. If it doesn’t work (and I recognize it’s a long shot) our energy will not have been wasted letting Obama know we’re not so willing to roll over for him. It’s a long shot but I think it’s better than putting a gun to your head with a primary — or sitting at home and literally putting a gun to your head.
Step aside Mr. Obama. This is the Change I believe in.
Tim- where do I sign up?
Tim wrote, “I’m beginning to think that the best option for progressives at this time is a very large concerted, vocal and public effort asking Obama to step aside in 2012.”
Won’t work, and not worth antagonizing the African-American segment of the party.
Not that I’m happy with all of that, but that’s the way it goes.
Liberal, I’m not so sure about that. John Lewis, my representative, voted against the deficit deal; in large I think measure because he’s sick of Obama’s preemptive caving to the reeps.
Sadly, I think liberal is right. African-Americans staying home would give any right wing nut a much better chance.
SHAME on teh RBC for that! Hey! I was not only for Hillary, but very much against Obama all through the primaries (WHY? Because I felt he wasn’t a downNdirty fighter, who could imagine?) but, I’m a Democrat, and I am certainly against almost ALL things Republican.
It’s a two party system, and there is one that MUST lose. Sadly, that is more important than our finished and fullfilled HOPEs.
I don’t have an opinion on whether Obama should seek the Democratic nomination. I think Democrats should settle that among themselves, and I’m not a Democrat. Nor has the President done anything that comes close to making me want to be a Democrat. I do have an opinion or two about what liberals should do—dump the Democratic Party permanently—but that’s a separate issue.
Great post! Obama has failed! Let’s all fight for change in 2012:
http://www.rickperry.org/join-today/
LOVE the Lese-Majeste tag.
It is possible to walk and chew gum at the same time. I’ll still pull the lever for Obama because he is the best available choice. Not voting is nearly the same as voting for Perry or Romney, and why would one do that? But I will also be focusing my energy (money, volunteering, etc.) on congressional races where liberal progressives are taking a stand, and making my views known in any way possible. The Democratic Party is a large organization — it does not need a brain drain, but a fight for its soul.