The only real question is whether Barack Obama will use the actual phrase. Certainly, his administration is trying to get the notion out there:

“The one thing the president really needs to do now is to begin the process of shutting down the conventional coal plants,” Daniel P. Schrag, a member of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, told the New York Times. ”Politically, the White House is hesitant to say they’re having a war on coal. On the other hand, a war on coal is exactly what’s needed.”

Daniel Schrag is perfect for deniable messaging, of course: he doesn’t set policy, but he does officially have President Barack Obama’s ear. If he’s openly talking about bankrupting the coal industry – something that Barack Obama has been itching to do for years – then it’s either about to become official federal policy, or else the Obama administration has zero control over its own personnel and friendlies. I don’t know which scenario is more alarming.

Guess we’ll find out today, huh?

Moe Lane (crosspost)

Via

Infelicitous phrasing eats message of the day @AaronBlakeWP: Obama science adviser calls for ‘war on coal’ http://t.co/59Szzl7bb2

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 25, 2013