Texas Insider Editorial

On July 22, 2013, the Texas Insider published an editorial called "Chairman Smith Threatens to Subpoena EPA Secret Science". A little background into the Texas Insider, it is a right-leaning, conservative Texas State and Political blog.  The audience of this editorial is most likely other politically conservative people that are likely to read the Texas Insider to begin with. The argument is that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not releasing their "secret science", which is the data they use as the basis of the costly regulations. The editorial is assuming that since the Environmental Protection Agency is not cooperating with their request to release the data to the Science, Space, and Technology Committee they base their regulations on, that they have something to hide. The editorial goes on to say that their reluctance to share the information to the American people might be an indicator that the research studies are weak. The main evidence that the committee has against the Environmental Protection Agency is that they sent in several letters requesting the information and have been shut down by the administration. I believe the argument is successful in convincing the reader that something fishy is going on with the Environmental Protection Agency and their reluctance to release gathered data. For the most part, I am convinced that with this editorial is arguing is indeed factual. Accepting this argument does not require me to rethink any of my own beliefs in regards to this area because I did not really have an set beliefs when it comes to these kinds of political issues.