Bush seeks support for blocking action on global warming

WASHINGTON — As the Bush administration prepares to issue its ruling on whether to limit greenhouse gases, it's sending a message to some allies: Tell us how much you don't want us to regulate emissions linked to global warming.

Last week, the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs sent an e-mail to mayors reminding them time was running out if they wanted to comment on the proposal the administration issued in July, which laid out how the government might curb greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

A 2007 Supreme Court decision required the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue such a ruling, but the White House made it clear in its e-mail that it doesn't think it's a good idea.

"At the time, President Bush warned that this was the wrong way to regulate emissions. (House Energy and Commerce Committee) Chairman John Dingell called it 'a glorious mess,' " Jeremy Broggi, the office's associate director, wrote in the e-mail.

The e-mail notes in bold, underlined text that the comment period for the rulemaking "closes on Nov. 28" and provides a link to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce blog post that warns that a federal cap on greenhouse gases "will operate as a de facto moratorium on major construction and infrastructure projects."

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said the White House sent the missive to "a lot of mayors" since many had said a mandatory limit on carbon dioxide would hurt their constituents.

"What this e-mail is doing is reminding them that they said this rule would be bad for them, there's a deadline for the public-comment period and they should get their comments in," Fratto said.

S. William Becker, executive director for the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, questioned why the administration would actively marshal support for blocking federal action on climate change.

"It appears there is no bottom to the administration's pit of disdain for regulating greenhouse gases," Becker said. "On the eve of the comment deadline on one of the most important environmental issues of our time, the White House is resorting to scare tactics ... to incite opposition among elected county and city officials."

Advocates of regulating greenhouse-as emissions got one piece of good news Tuesday: A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that General Motors, Chrysler and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers cannot challenge that state's adoption of California's rule limiting automobile-tailpipe emissions to combat global warming.

Washington is one of the 13 states that have adopted California's standards.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.