“There was a realistic assessment . . . by the leaders that it was unrealistic to expect a full…. agreement.”

That quote from U.S. deputy national security advisor for international economic affairs Michael Froman about his hopes for a final agreement in Copenhagen would be funny if wasn’t so, well… unfunny.

The full quote:

“I don’t think the negotiations have proceeded in such a way that any of the leaders thought it was likely that we were going to achieve a final agreement in Copenhagen, and yet [they] thought that it was important that Copenhagen be an important step forward…

“There was a realistic assessment . . . by the leaders that it was unrealistic to expect a full, internationally legally binding agreement to be negotiated between now and when Copenhagen starts in 22 days…”

We’re a long way from Yes We Can now folks. Forget the halcyon days of the Change campaign, when “realistic assessments” about how “unrealistic” it was to expect any meaningful change to be brought about by the political system never made the soundbites …

In these post GFC times we need something snappy to sum up the Obama administration on climate change, a view shared by pretty much every other government involved in the Copenhagen negotiations.  We need to update the merch: roll out something new on T-Shirts, mugs, magnets.

The slogan?

“Obama 09: Realistic assessments of unrealistic expectations.”

Either that, or “Yes we Can’t.”

Fits better on a badge.