Crucifying the EPA

5/15/2012

Two years ago, the top U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official in Texas, Al Armendariz, said in a videotaped speech that the EPA should come down hard on polluters -- sending a message as the Romans did, by "crucifying" offenders to make a point for the others.

Republicans who have tried -- pardon the expression -- to crucify the EPA for years now have their poster bureaucrat of overzealous enforcement. Mr. Armendariz fell on his sword, figuratively, so that his resignation would end the Obama Administration's embarrassment.

But on both sides, this is political correctness gone crazy. What did Mr. Armendariz do wrong? He used a figure of speech. It wasn't sacrilegious, and his example was from Turkey, not Palestine.

Polluters are not going to hang from crosses. Mr. Armendariz merely said that law-enforcers should enforce the law. Everybody who must breathe foul air ought to agree.