Didn't Chimpy the Prez always say Justice Nino was his No. 1 Supreme Court fave? Now it appears it doesn't matter how many justices agree with Nino

Supreme Court Justice Nino Scalia: What he sez, goes!

I don't know why this has me so steamed. I mean, it's not as if there's any reason to believe--now, in the year 2008--that Bush-blest bureaucrats feel in any way bound by the law in their zeal to turn the country into a mirror of the primitive thieving incompetence embedded in their souls. It's been clear now for years that, from the Smirking Simian on down (or up, depending on how you count), these people believe they can do anything they damn well please, and anyone who doesn't like it may qualify for a one-way trip to Gitmo.

But still, there's something about this. I mean, this is a Supreme Court ruling, for goodness' sake. In case you missed the story, our pal Al Kamen has it in his Washington Post "In the Loop" column today. Since I'm pretty much reduced to spluttering in any case, here it is without further comment:

EPA Chief Emits Dangerous Levels of CO₂

Environmental Protection Agency chief Stephen L. Johnson [seen at right with some pathologically smirking simian life form] infuriated pro-enviro lawmakers once more with his decision yesterday when he tightened ozone standards to a lesser degree than his scientists advised.

But he's proved himself more than capable of deflecting apoplectic members of Congress critical of his unusual stewardship of the nation's environment. Note for example, his handling of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) at a recent Senate hearing.

Feinstein, who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee that controls the EPA's budget, asked why Johnson had not yet complied with a Supreme Court ruling a year ago in Massachusetts v. EPA that required him to come up with ways to regulate greenhouse gases.

"I find this unbelievable on behalf of what is called an environmental protection agency," Feinstein said, "and there's a finding of the United States Supreme Court telling you to do something."

"Well, Madam Chairman," Johnson eloquently intoned, doing a spectacular imitation of Mr. Magoo wandering about in the smog, "I respectfully disagree that this is an easy decision. . . . I think Justice Scalia actually set it up as, in essence, a three-part test for me and this would be my brief summary, and that is: If the agency finds -- if I find that there's endangerment, then under the Clean Air Act I must regulate. If I find that there is not, that's test one. If I find that there is not endangerment, then I should not regulate. Or third, if there are other circumstances . . . "

Huh? At any rate, it's clear that Johnson has paid careful attention to the Supreme Court decision and is adhering to Justice Antonin Scalia's concise test.

One small problem: Scalia dissented in that ruling. But maybe Johnson reserves the right to pick and choose from either the majority or the meaningless dissent. It's not as if a greenhouse-gas-emissions case were the only thing on his plate. "But also we have a number of pending petitions before the agency," he said, "including airlines, including off-roads, including marine, including stationary sources, including NSPS, including PSD, and I can go on and on," he said, not even mentioning the NFL, the PGA, the NCAA.

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