Assorted Afflatuses

Rather than comment on Mr. Obama's handling of flag pin questions, I shall turn my attention to a measure proposed by that maverick from Arizona, Senator John McCain. Yesterday, amid a flurry of Pope-related minutiae analysis, Mr. McCain proposed a gaggle of economic initiatives designed to help America's current economic malaise. And among his many proposals was a measure designed to make gasoline more affordable by temporarily removing the 12 cent Federal tax on gasoline. In theory, such a measure would take, as the Senator put it, "A few dollars off the price of a tank of gas every time a family, a farmer, or trucker stops to fill up," and thus bolster the economy.

For someone who means to take a strong stance with respect to climate change, the environment and government spending, this hardly seems a good idea.

On the climate change issue, I see any increase in the price of gasoline, especially in a direct way to the consumer as very good indeed. Higher gas prices do not benefit the economy in the short run, to be sure. They do, however, have a fantastic long run effect on the environment, and our national and economic security. It would be folly to make a marginal improvement to our economy now at the expense of the environment and our long run economic future. Cheaper gasoline means more invisible greenhouse gasses nebulously floating around in the atmosphere at the environment' expense and a less competitive market for alternative energy solutions.

As for government spending, it hardly strikes me as financially prudent to remove another chunk of government revenue without a replacement at hand. Mr. McCain speaks of balancing America's budget, while simultaneously giving every American individual and corporation a tax cut. Any reduction in so-called "pork barrel spending" he manages to effect will quickly be offset by the gigantic tax cuts he proposes, which — working under the wildly speculative assumption that the cuts equal one another in size — still leaves America with a budget deficit deeper than the Grand Canyon.

Climate change is, to use the almost platitudinous phrase, not a partisan issue. While I hope Mr. Obama manages to scrape together a victory in November, I think the dialogue and discussion needs to emphasize change now, rather than change in 2025. Perhaps I should have said, "John, Don't Even Think About Thinking About Doing It."