The aphorism, "There's a sucker born every minute" is attributed to PT Barnum. Wikipedia also lists "1860s Chicago "bounty broker, saloon and gambling-house keeper, eminent politician, and dispenser of cheating privileges..." Michael Cassius McDonald" as the originator of the quip. Somehow that seems more as our own present-day Chicago bounty broker, eminient politician and dispenser of cheating privileges is the mark this time - along with Eugene Robinson among no doubt any number of other gullible Global Warming saps.

So, who is the sharpie flimflamming our presidential flimflammer and his co-conspirators in the MSM? China. Eugene Robinson celebrates the non-deal negotiated with the naive hopefulness most sane people have gotten over in high school. But not Eugene. He's probably waiting for the homecoming queen to return his calls too.

Mr. Robinson wistfully writes,

"My conclusion is that for now, at least, the conceptual advance made in Durban is as good as it gets.

"This advance is, potentially, huge: For the first time, officials of the nations that are the biggest carbon emitters -- China, the United States and India -- have agreed to negotiate legally binding restrictions."

A promise by notorious fakers to sincerely talk about seriously discussing honest negotiations with firm commitments to come to the table to consider the way-forward in developing a framework for further discussions... "potentially huge"... So is the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

"The Durban talks seemed likely to go nowhere until the Chinese delegate, Xie Zhenhua, announced that Beijing was willing to consider a legally binding framework for regulating emissions. With China now responsible for fully 23 percent of the world's carbon emissions, this was an enormous step forward.

"India, however, wasn't so sure about agreeing to negotiate a "legal framework" specifying binding commitments."

Indians seem to be more astute than our current government.

I can't see how China can lose by taking the position it has. By feigning interest in curbing pollution, it can pose as a good global citizen. If the US repeats its errors of 2008, China has a good chance of having the Obama administration hobble the US economy even while interminable talks are planned. If an actual agreement were to be achieved while the Democrats control the White House and Congress, there is every possibility they would make disadvantaging US industry relative to China a law. Of course China would sign the same agreement as the US. But does anyone NOT a Democrat believe China would honor any agreement? Certainly India knows better.