Remember when Obama was going to lead the world to a treaty that would solve The Most Important Problem of All Time? Never mind

U.S. Cites Flaws in UN Climate Talks, Says Treaty Effort `Unworkable' - Bloomberg

Todd Stern, the State Department official who heads the U.S. delegation at the 192-nation discussions, said this week’s meeting in Bangkok was “marked by struggles over the agenda” that was similar to “bickering over the shape of the negotiating table.”
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He said a legally binding treaty of the sort envoys sought to write in Copenhagen two years ago is “unworkable,” and national regulations hold the key to stanching CO2 output.
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“Legally binding international obligations to cut emissions are not necessary,” Stern said at the Bloomberg New Energy Finance conference in New York. “It is the national plans of countries, written into law and regulations, that count and that bind.”

Obama, Nov 2008: Climate Plan Firm Amid Economic Woes - NYTimes.com

...once I take office, you can be sure that the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations, and help lead the world toward a new era of global cooperation on climate change.

Now is the time to confront this challenge once and for all. Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response. The stakes are too high. The consequences, too serious.