The Man With Two Faces

After haranguing and negotiation, the United States reluctantly "agreed" to a flawed agreement at Bali, which allowed Bush to gain a symbolic victory without being pigeonholed into actually doing anything about climate change. Now, just mere hours after signing the document, Bush is backing away from it.

In a statement, Perino said that aspects the U.S. particularly welcomes include a recognition of the importance of technology in the solution and the role of industry agreements.

But, she said, "the United States does have serious concerns" because the U.N.-sponsored talks have "not yet fully given effect to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities."

Specifically, commitments for emissions cuts cannot be required from developed countries alone, as that would be insufficient to reduce global warming and would be unfair. "Major developing economies must likewise act," Perino said.

Also, requirements of developing countries must be set to reflect factors such as the size of a nation's economy or its emissions level, she said.

So, shorter George Bush: "My word doesn't mean a damn thing."