The Bush administration has rightfully taken a tough stance in stopping terrorists who maim and kill innocent people. But when it comes to cleaning up obsolete power plants that sicken and kill innocent people, the administration is a mollycoddler with the backbone of a French pastry.

The disclosure that the Environmental Protection Agency is dropping enforcement actions of Clean Air Act violations by power plants is a shocking but not surprising move by an administration that buys into the nonsense that environmental protection is a phony "liberal" issue.

Unless and until the courts light a fire under those who are supposed to protect us from pollution, people who value clean air will just have to hold their breaths.