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Charles Lane in The Washington Post on politicizing gas prices Republicans are blaming rising gas prices on President Obama's policies. Obama is rejecting their assertion that there's a short-term fix to global markets, but he similarly politicized gas prices in 2007 when Bush was in office. "Please, everyone, just ignore this blather. Here's what is actually going on: World crude oil prices determine the vast majority of the per-gallon price of gasoline — 76 percent of it, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Those prices have been trending upward for more than a decade, largely because of surging demand in China and other emerging markets. Gas prices have followed suit." Lane points out that rising gas prices are actually a sign of global economic recovery, and they spurred investment in fracking and other technology. Lane outlines various other factors that drive prices to point out that "American motorists are caught up in a vast global market for energy whose cyclical forces of supply and demand are more important than the short-term policy choices of the U.S. government."
David Carr in The New York Times on the White House and whistle-blowers When White House Press Secretary Jay Carney cited the journalists in Syria who died "to bring truth," ABC's Jake Tapper confronted him by suggesting that the administration only wants journalists to expose the truth abroad, but prosecutes leaks at home. Carr writes: "Fair point. The Obama administration, which promised during its transition to power that it would enhance 'whistle-blower laws to protect federal workers,' has been more prone than any administration in history in trying to silence and prosecute federal workers." He notes some of the more egregious cases, arguing that secrets leaked haven't been dangerous exposures but more standard whistle-blowing on corrupt practices. Yet leakers are prosecuted under the Espionage Act, essentially as spies, which Carr characterizes as an over-reach. Noting the authorized leaks of flattering news like the Osama bin Laden raid, Carr says "it's worth pointing out that the administration's emphasis on secrecy comes and goes depending on the news."