Yet his administration has undermined decades of work to control these weapons globally.

And by scuttling new source review, the administration may well be undermining political support for its own anti-pollution initiative.

Past administrations had used a competitive bidding process, but then undermined it by spending millions on change orders, he said.

But by focusing narrowly on rapid Caspian energy development while soft-pedaling the political and military instability, the administration has undermined its own objectives.

"This administration has been undermining abortion rights from the day it took office."

"I cannot understand why the administration would do such a divisive thing and undermine the harmony we achieved," he said.

"The administration constantly undermines these hospitals because of an ideological bias against the institution," said David Jones, a corporation board member who has clashed frequently with the Mayor.

Democrats said the administration was exaggerating the scale of the problem and undermining one of the pillars of economic progress in recent years.

(The real special-interest payoffs come via less showy policies, like the way the administration is undermining enforcement of the Clean Air Act.)

The same administration that "devoted four years to rolling back mine regulations" has also been undermining workers' rights to join unions without forfeiting their livelihood.