Obama Comes Out Swinging

Post-midterms Obama is ready to fight Congress on his legacy issues, including clean air.

President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks at the University of Queensland on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brisbane on November 15, 2014.
Photographer: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

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By Julie Bykowicz and Margaret Talev

November 26, 2014 at 9:46 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

President Barack Obama sure seems itching for a fight—or a few—with the incoming Republican Congress.

On Wednesday, Obama recommitted to costly smog standards that he shelved before his re-election, setting up a clash with a Senate majority that was, in part, installed with the help of energy billionaires whose businesses would be adversely affected by the rules. Last week, he granted a reprieve to millions of undocumented immigrants, and, since Nov. 4, he seems more eager than ever to put the "Obama" back in Obamacare. With no more political calculations to make, Obama is digging in on the domestic issues that will form the pillars of his legacy.