Doomsday Clock Moved Back A Minute Because Obama Is President

January 14th, 2010 11:20 PM

First he wins a Nobel Peace Prize just for getting elected, and now his mere presence in the White House has moved the world further away from blowing itself up.

So concluded the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Monday who in its infinite wisdom moved the famed Doomsday Clock back one minute:

For the first time since atomic bombs were dropped in 1945, leaders of nuclear weapons states are cooperating to vastly reduce their arsenals and secure all nuclear bomb-making material.  And for the first time ever, industrialized and developing countries alike are pledging to limit climate-changing gas emissions that could render our planet nearly uninhabitable.  These unprecedented steps are signs of a growing political will to tackle the two gravest threats to civilization -- the terror of nuclear weapons and runaway climate change.

In its press release, the BAS largely credited -- who else? -- President Barack Obama:

A key to the new era of cooperation is a change in the U.S. government's orientation toward international affairs brought about in part by the election of Obama.  With a more pragmatic, problem-solving approach, not only has Obama  initiated new arms reduction talks with Russia, he has started negotiations with Iran to close its nuclear enrichment program, and directed the U.S. government to lead a global effort to secure loose fissile material in four years.  He also presided over the U.N. Security Council last September where he supported a fissile material cutoff treaty and encouraged all countries to live up to their disarmament and nonproliferation obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty …

Just imagine the accolades this guy will get if he actually accomplishes something. 

Readers are reminded that this clock was moved closer to midnight -- meaning the end of the world -- when Ronald Reagan was President (h/t Reason and NBer Jack Coleman):

Any questions?