I’d like to see a complete bill but we have to be realistic,” said Senator and Majority Whip Dick Durbin recently, explaining why the senate plans to basically ignore the issue of global warming in its next session—under the guise of nominal reform—and why this is a “realistic” position. Also, says Senator Joseph Lieberman, the independent who habitually sides with Republicans but is nonetheless a member in good standing of the Democratic caucus, anyone who wants energy reform needs to shut the fuck up—they’ve already gotten their awesome healthcare bill and that’s all they’re going to get.

“Delay is no longer an option,” President Barack Obama has said about climate change. We await the announcement from him forthwith that he didn’t campaign on that issue.