"Growing the economy isn't just about cutting spending; it's not about rolling back regulations that protect our air and our water and keep our people safe. That's not how we're going to get past this recession. We're going to have to do more than that." — President Obama, statement, August 2, 2011.
"creating a 21st-century regulatory system is about more than which rules to add and which rules to subtract. As the executive order I am signing makes clear, we are seeking more affordable, less intrusive means to achieve the same ends—giving careful consideration to benefits and costs. This means writing rules with more input from experts, businesses and ordinary citizens. It means using disclosure as a tool to inform consumers of their choices, rather than restricting those choices. And it means making sure the government does more of its work online, just like companies are doing. We're also getting rid of absurd and unnecessary paperwork requirements that waste time and money. We're looking at the system as a whole to make sure we avoid excessive, inconsistent and redundant regulation. And finally, today I am directing federal agencies to do more to account for—and reduce—the burdens regulations may place on small businesses. Small firms drive growth and create most new jobs in this country. We need to make sure nothing stands in their way." — President Obama, Wall Street Journal op-ed, "Toward a 21st Century Regulatory System," January 18, 2011.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but it sure looks like the exact same president who in January was insisting that reducing regulatory burdens would create jobs and growth is now, in August, denouncing the idea as some kind of Republican plot to pollute the environment and jeopardize safety. This is the sort of thing that both breeds cynicism and makes people think the guy is a phony.