Regretfully, Christine

Christine Todd Whitman, the former EPA Administrator/Bush Administration "wind dummy" (in the words of Colin Powell) opines that the Supreme Court decision on carbon dioxide emissions was a 'welcome first step.' Writing in the Washington Post, she says the ruling, "was welcomed by all who regret that the United States has lagged far behind in addressing this serious environmental challenge."

What a deft piece of mealy-mouthedness the piece is, managing as it does to both criticize and excuse the White House (and thus herself) for doing absolutely nothing to head off what looks to be not just a 'serious environmental challenge' but the defining crisis of our time. Here's more:

Back when he was governor of Texas, President Bush enacted mandatory caps on carbon emissions in his state. During the 2000 presidential campaign, he promised to regulate carbon emissions nationwide. Shortly after taking office, though, he backed away from that pledge. There were good domestic reasons at the time, but those reasons are no longer valid.

Good domestic reasons, eh? Pray tell. Ms. Whitman then musters her courage to conclude with the obvious: "Delay is no longer an option. The president and Congress must act."

That so? Well, hey, thanks for the regrets, Ms. Whitman, but where was this conviction six years ago, when you were in a position to do something about it?