President Obama may have campaigned in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia as the Coal miner’s brother…and even ran “Mitt Romney is anti-coal” ads, but today he removed his coat, rolled up his sleeves and gave the carbon fuel industry a 1-2 punch to the gut.

In Georgetown before a crowd of exuberant but sweaty students, he announced his new National Climate Action Plan, “…And I’m here to enlist your generation’s help in keeping the United States of America a leader — a global leader — in the fight against climate change.”

The 21-page plan would expand production of solar and wind energy and includes billions of dollars in loan guarantees to develop cleaner fossil-fuel and other energy technologies. It also funds new efforts to help communities fight against flooding, wildfires, and drought, and puts more emphasis on working with countries such as India and China to jointly lower emissions of gases that warm the atmosphere.

Obama touted the achievements of “nearly a dozen states (who) have already implemented or are implementing their own market-based programs to reduce carbon pollution. More than 25 have set energy efficiency targets. More than 35 have set renewable energy targets. Over 1,000 mayors have signed agreements to cut carbon pollution. So the idea of setting higher pollution standards for our power plants is not new. It’s just time for Washington to catch up with the rest of the country. And that’s what we intend to do.”

What he intends to do is bypass his opponents in congress.

“Whether the American people want it or not, Obama says he’ll do it by presidential fiat,” Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from coal-rich Kentucky, said in a speech on the Senate floor. “The message this sends should worry anyone who cares about constitutional self-government.”

As if in a verbal joust with his political foes, Obama asserted to the cheers of the crowd, “We don’t have time for a meeting of the flat Earth society.”

“Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer, but it is not going to protect you from the coming storm,” Obama said.

How do you feel about President Obama’s speech? Has he overstepped his bounds? Will this really help small businesses and add jobs? How will this help or hurt the Climate Change debate? Please respond below.

Also, hear more on the his Climate Action Plan and his speech by listening here.

Photo credit: Charles Dharapak, AP