This action is reflective of the Liberal/left/progressive belief that their way is the only way. Obama was playing to his beliefs and that of his constituency to the bitter end. The same is true in Canada where Trudeau Jr repealed much of his conservative predessessor's legislation. Unfortunately, the new Trump administration will take Obama's actions as further cause for gutting Democrat legislation and so it will go. Policies, laws and provisions will have precious little shelf life as each successive regime govern's in the knowledge most of it will last only so long as they rule. Both Canada and the US need a bipartisan approach to strengthen government decision making but intransigence is the order of the day as political polarization is encouraged. The propensity to view one's political opponent as indecent, inferior, immoral or ignorant for holding a different opinion is a dangerous path yet it seems to beckon to a growing number of partisans and pundits.