The soft bigotry of low expectations on climate change

President Obama grabbed partial victory from the jaws of defeat in Copenhagen today, emerging with a political agreement among rich and poor nations to seek cuts in their emissions of greenhouse gases. . . . "It is still going to require more work and more confidence-building and greater trust ... before I think you are going to see another legally binding treaty signed," Obama said . . . About 25 countries abandoned any hope of reaching a binding agreement early in the day and moved instead to approve a political statement.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/12/obama-claims-partial-victory-in-copenhagen/1

Obama and friends are celebrating a "political statement" reached in lieu of a "legally binding treaty".

In fact, this is the second time Obama came back from Scandinavia empty handed (remember the Olympics?)

This is just another example of what George W. Bush's better speechwriters called "the soft bigotry of low expectations".