My frenemy Tony Katz took a swipe at me in a post on Big Journalism because I had the audacity to point out that loans to the failed green energy company Solyndra were initiated under President George W. Bush. Damn me and my facts!

Tony then went on to write:

The left is more desirous of punishing the American people; forcing them to pay for technology that has no home in the marketplace at this time because the technology is not yet viable.

Versus, what, big oil? Because according to the Union of Concerned Scientists:

There is growing awareness in this country that the full cost of using oil for transportation is “subsidized” — that is, gasoline prices paid by consumers do not reflect the full economic cost to society. The true cost is hidden by myriad direct and indirect public subsidies, which include

* reduced corporate income taxes for the oil industry
* lower than average sales taxes on gasoline
* government funding of programs that primarily benefit the oil industry and motorists
* “hidden” environmental costs caused by motor vehicles, namely air, water, and noise pollution

Meanwhile, the leading Republican critics of helping green energy compete with subsidized oil and gas are — big shocker! — funded by big oil and gas. For instance, I saw a Koch Industries spokesperson on television the other day making the case for why our government shouldn’t be investing in the future of energy and jobs and “picking winners and losers” in the marketplace. This from the company that has spent millions buying and lobbying Congress expressly so it could be a hand-picked winner.

Green energy is among the fastest growing industries in American today — but if China keeps subsidizing its green industry and we keep killing ours, America will be the loser in the global marketplace. Big oil would like us to think Solyndra is a warming against green energy investments. But the real warning is if we don’t invest, the future will leave American workers and our economy behind.