One could point out that the price of a gallon of gasoline has been going up and down and up and down and up and down over the last few years -- all the while there being just those four consolidated big oil companies. The variable has not been consolidation; the variables have been the world price of crude, operational down time for repair and maintenance at our refineries, and after Katrina, the temporary physical disruption of the supply chain.

It is ugly to see politicians trying to exploit for political gain the economic ignorance, paranoia of large corporations and petty envy that burden elements of the public mind.

But at least for the Schumers of this political world, they can claim in defense that they have become habituated to such demagogic practices through long usage. They can no longer help themselves. They wouldn't know how to function without constantly reciting gibberish to their gullible base voters.

Even Republican congressmen and senators can be partially forgiven for tiptoeing into the garden of demagogic delights -- in their increasingly forlorn hope that their failure to legislate responsibly may be offset this November by forswearing their proud elephant trumpeting of honest economic principles for the tinny bray of the demagogic jackass.

But a president should be above such sly contrivances. Even a president at 32 percent job approval has a duty to educate the public -- not to encourage the worst paranoid instincts of a fearful and disgruntled public.

Moreover, it won't work. For the sorry element of the public that may be moved by such openly cynical rhetoric and empty gesture, the Schumers of this world are their natural candidates.

At least all the Democratic Party Schumers have been consistently peddling such balderdash for decades. Such rote methods tend to gain a level of believability amongst the particularly feeble-minded.

But Republicans, and particularly Republican presidents, have commendably been defending the logic and efficacy of the marketplace since the memory of man runneth not to the contrary. It has been their great contribution to American prosperity, and the solace of hardworking, productive, rational Americans. 

Even the most mentally limited amongst us will smell a rat when they see a Republican president suddenly start reciting such blatant Schumerisms. While the more mentally alert will be disheartened to no longer have a champion for free markets.

The president has been poorly advised to take this step down the path. He should return to the stout defense of the reliability of the marketplace for which we all know he stands.