Deborah Solomon’s harsh questions in her New York Times Magazine interview column continue to make me uncomfortable, but sometimes, like this week, she says what needs to be said:

SOLOMON: But you can’t possibly blame President Bush for fear and paranoia in northern Italy.

LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI: It’s the same with Silvio Berlusconi in Italy. Is it true that Bush believes that anyone caught reading books should be banned from government?

SOLOMON: That’s such a flaky, California thing to say.

FERLINGHETTI: I made it up.

Amen, Deborah. Speaking as a native Californian, all I can say is that she’s absolutely right. I’m sure Ferlinghetti’s wacky Bush-is-an-idiot humor is a hit at dinner parties in San Francisco.