It sure looks that way.

Democratic staffers from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a memo yesterday that says White House officials urged the EPA to reject California's emissions waiver last December, despite agency-wide support for the move.

California needed the waiver in order to impose tougher pollution standards for cars and trucks beginning in 2009. The proposed rules would require a fuel efficiency of 44 miles per gallon by 2020.

Even embattled EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson supported the waiver as late as last September. Associate Deputy Administrator Jason Burnett told the committee in a deposition that at that time, Johnson "was very interested in a full grant." And then, sometime in late fall, Johnson "consulted" with the White House.

The committee reviewed more than 27,000 pages of records and interviews with eight EPA officials during its five-month investigation. "It appears that the White House played a significant role in the reversal of the EPA decision," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Just what did White House official say to Johnson during their sit-down? Well, since the Bush administration has refused to hand over 32 documents of communications between them, it may be a while before we know.

If this all sounds familar, that's because it is. Somewhere, we imagine Johnson is sitting in his office, reminiscing about the good old days when he was just a career EPA scientist.