Global Idiot

The papers are all tut-tutting this story today about Bush starting a "new" initiative on global warming:

In his announcement, Bush said he wants to hold talks between the world's top 10 to 15 polluters (USAT has a handy chart that lists who they are) to set up what his chief environmental adviser calls "aspirational goals" by the end of 2008. Bush said he would present his proposal at next week's G8 meeting, where it was widely expected that his administration would come under fire for its failure to act on global warming.

This confuses me. And anytime I'm confused by Bush, I'm suspicious. Besides, didn't we already have an international initiative on global warming called Kyoto? Why reinvent yet another wheel?

On the surface this looks like a come-to-Jesus moment. But we all know the idiot king well enough to doubt any sincerity involved in Bush accepting global warming.

Critics are saying this is too little too late. That's likely to be true. I also suspect it's all fluff .... P.R. to deflect criticism at the upcoming G8 summit and that Bush has no intention to do anything about the issue. This is his M.O., lots of bells and whistles and zero substance. Or, put in language even he can understand, "all hat and no cattle".

Update: Froomkin does a very nice "A" "B" comparison of how the U.S. media lapped up the drivel put out by Bush's announcement vs. the more accurate coverage overseas.