Washington (CNN) President Barack Obama hosted 200 mayors at the White House Friday during the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter meeting, and called on local leaders to upgrade 1.5 million street lights to high efficiency LEDs.

The announcement is a continuation of the administration's effort to overhaul outdated technology in communities around the country and save money and energy -- and light bulbs are just the beginning.

The phasing out of old fashion light bulbs might seem like an odd reason for a political battle.

But in 2011, to Republicans, it was just that: the fight between consumer freedom and government intrusion. Criticism fell on Obama, even though the decrease in manufacturing of 100-watt incandescent light bulbs was actually the result of a law signed by George W. Bush in 2007 to promote energy efficient bulbs like LEDs.

Tensions were so high that Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann got a crowd riled up ahead of the 2012 election just by saying that "President Bachmann will allow you to buy any light bulb you want in the United States of America."

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