As the Fourth Estate was busy sanctifying President Obama as a modern day Admiral Halsey over his role in the “pirate hostage crisis” in the Indian Ocean, the Obama administration was busy back home declaring war on your car.

Did you miss that?

Yes, on April 17th, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act.  Interested parties now have 60 days to comment before rule making begins.1

The proposed finding represents a tectonic shift in the debate over climate change and a genuinely audacious expansion of government power with consequential costs to citizens and the economy. If this finding moves forward through the EPA review process, unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats will have power to regulate everything from vehicles to coal fired power plants.

Just for example, the Administrator of the EPA – Lisa P. Jackson – would have the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under Section 202 of the Clean Air Act on automobiles:

a) Authority of Administrator to prescribe by regulation

(1) The Administrator shall by regulation prescribe in accordance with the provisions of this section, standards applicable to the emission of any air pollutant from any class or classes of new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines, which in his judgment cause, or contribute to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. Such standards shall be applicable to such vehicles and engines for their useful life, whether such vehicles and engines are designed as complete systems or incorporate devices to prevent or control such pollution.

(2) Any regulation prescribed under paragraph (1) of this subsection (and any revision thereof) shall take effect after such period as the Administrator finds necessary to permit the development and application of the requisite technology, giving appropriate consideration to the cost of compliance within such period.2

Scared yet?  You should be.

First President Obama fires the Chairman of GM and demands Chrysler sell out to that paragon of automotive excellence, Fiat, and now his EPA Administrator is going to tell Detroit what to build? We are seeing nothing short of the government-directed “Trabantification” of the US auto industry.

Is it any wonder why recipients of federal bailout dollars are frantic to repay their loans and get out from Uncle Sam’s thumb?

But this rule-making doesn’t stop with cars. The breath of this finding’s impact is so wide that no one knows with certainty what might come out of it.  One thing is for sure; if you’re associated with an industry or product that emits greenhouse gases, you’ve just become a public enemy and you’re going to pay for it.

But of course there is a way out of this draconian, Soviet style, central planning. And here, the diabolical, statist genius of the Obama administration is on full display.

The Democratic majority in the US Congress, that has so far this year exercised such informed, thoughtful, deliberate and inclusive leadership, can short circuit the EPA rule-making scheme by coming up with a greenhouse gas policy of its own; and wouldn’t you know that they have one – the Obama Cap N’ Trade system.

Thus, to ensure that this environmental coercion becomes law, you are left with the lesser-of-two-evils choice between a growth choking, industry destroying, tax raising Obama regulatory scheme approved by Congress, or the arbitrary, growth choking, industry destroying, tax raising regulations of Administrator Jackson.

And people were beginning to wonder what all those Ivy League degrees were doing in the West Wing.

With lopsided majorities in Congress and unified Democratic control of the government, there is frustratingly little the opposition can do. So on this day, the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington, affix the Jolly Roger to your beloved auto in protest. Show ‘em you know the real pirate Obama is gunning for.

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