Here is the state of politics surrounding action on climate change.

Earlier today, ExxonMobil once again announced its support for a carbon tax. Per Bloomberg:

Exxon Mobil Corp. is part of a growing coalition backing a carbon tax as an alternative to costly regulation, giving newfound prominence to an idea once anathema in Washington. …

“Combined with further advances in energy efficiency and new technologies spurred by market innovation, a well-designed carbon tax could play a significant role in addressing the challenge of rising emissions,” Kimberly Brasington, a spokeswoman for the company, said in an e-mail. “A carbon tax should be made revenue neutral via tax offsets in other areas,” she added.

Exxon’s political action committee gave nearly $1.2 million to political candidates in the past two years, 93 percent of it to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

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“Please tax this.” – ExxonMobil.

So that’s the view of ExxonMobil, a company that makes money indirectly generating carbon dioxide pollution. And now, that of the president of the United States, a member of the Democratic Party.

The White House pool report quotes press secretary Jay Carney:

Q: I’m just speaking of the aftermath yesterday — he seemed to almost go out of his way to dismiss the idea of a carbon tax, kind of rule it out. Why did he — why was he so –

MR. CARNEY: We would never propose a carbon tax, and have no intention of proposing one.

For those of you inclined to give President Obama the benefit of the doubt after his press conference yesterday — go ahead and doubt.

If it’s any consolation, a carbon tax was never going to happen anyway. (It’s no consolation.)