Wouldn't It be Nice to Have a Real Leader?

McCain and Clinton are both calling for a suspension of the 18.4 cent federal excise tax on gasoline. Why? Because it will show that they "feel our pain" and are not "out of touch" with real people.

That's not leading, that's pandering. We are in such trouble, digging a deeper and deeper hole, and all these two can suggest is to keep digging. Maybe there's something we can do for truckers in the short run, but the sooner the rest of us start cutting back on gasoline consumption, the better. But, as we all know, that's not going to happen until it's too late. We're doomed.

Friedman was good on this today. Krugman, too (last night).