Jim Carignan began his column of July 3 by claiming that he was not one to say, “I told you so.” But the subtext of the rest of his piece was just that. The prescient professor foresaw the current state of affairs, domestic and foreign, and has now chastised the American public for being slow to accept his wisdom.

The words are his, but there is not one original concept. He continues to shine in his role as the local stenographer for the Democratic National Committee. It’s especially dangerous to quote unnamed polls to support a position several days before publication. The Rasmussen poll of July 7 says that 52 percent of American adults approve of the way George W. Bush is performing his role as president. That’s hardly in the tank, but I promise you it will be different by the time this letter is printed.

I admit that Mr. Carignan has two great talents: to find wrongs and to assign blame. He listed all the world’s problems and blamed the U.S., specifically the Bush administration. That’s a convenient but shallow summary of a very complex situation, and it emphasizes what’s missing from his rsum: a talent for suggesting solutions.

He has only one solution and uses it everywhere. Throw out Republicans and elect more Democrats. This Dirigo solution has been a disaster in Maine and Carignan wants to take it nationwide. If he succeeds, the disaster will be wider yet and, well, I told you so.

Michael LeBlanc, East Wilton