Seems Obama can’t get a break appointing his nominees:

President Obama’s nominee for the No. 2 post at the Environmental Protection Agency dropped out, saying scrutiny of a group he was affiliated with was threatening to become “a distraction” for the administration.

The EPA announced the decision by Jonathan Cannon, nominated for the post of deputy EPA administrator, a day before he was scheduled to appear before a Senate panel considering his nomination.

Story on Wall Street Journal

Also in the news today: Budget Has Obama Courting Fellow Democrats

Fourteen states will be able to mandate greater auto fuel efficiency than the federal government requires under a plan that President Obama will announce on Monday, a senior administration official said.

Obama will do so by directing the Environmental Protection Agency to grant a waiver for the states to allow them to set their own standards for emissions, the official said.

Link to CNN coverage.
Story on NYTimes