Andres Martinez of the Los Angeles Times (in a column carried in today's Albuquerque Journal) writes that President Bush is taking heat for high prices at the gasoline pump ""even if he can't do much about it." The remainder of the column contains nothing to weaken that - how shall I say this? - poorly-informed comment.
Of course, the President can do a lot about gasoline prices, particularly when he leads the party that controls the Congress.
Heck, this President twisted enough arms to get GOP conservatives to add a hugely expensive prescription drug benefit to Medicare even with the federla budget deeply in deficit, so he could campaign for senior votes. Raising fuel economy standards for Detroit would be a snap in comparison.
I am less concerned today with the energy issue than the ignorance of the columnist. Martinez represents something quite contemporary, the rise of the know-little Op Ed writer.
Years ago, newspapers were elitist, dominated by upper-class voices like Lippman, the Alsops and Arthur Krock. In democratizing, often a good thing, the papers have lowered standards. Now we have folkks who simply do not know much.
Not to mention, the politicians who have no allegiance to intellectual honesty. But that's another posting.
Posted by Arthur Alpert at August 24, 2005 08:58 AM