CALIFORNICATING THE AUTOMAKERS:

Obama to Direct Shift in Emissions Regulations (JOHN M. BRODER and PETER BAKER, 1/26/09, NY Times)

President Barack Obama will direct federal regulators on Monday to move swiftly on an application by California and 13 other states to set strict automobile emissions and fuel efficiency standards, two administration officials said Sunday evening.

The directive makes good on an Obama campaign pledge and signifies a sharp reversal of Bush administration policy. Granting California and the other states the right to regulate tailpipe emissions would be one of the most emphatic actions Mr. Obama could take to quickly put his stamp on environmental policy.

The genius of this is that the CA market is so big that companies have to conform to its standards and CA will pass tougher environmental laws than you could ever get through Congress.

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 25, 2009 8:52 PM