"Wizened"/"Wise"?

       On Monday, December 13, 2010 the L.A. Times "Capitol Journal" writer began a column praising then Governor-elect Brown:

               So far, Jerry Brown has been exhibiting the traits of a
       wizened old pol that led Californians to elect him governor.
               He's showing early signs of matching the expectations
       of millions who concluded he just might be the seasoned sage who
       can straighten out Sacramento's budget shambles.

       I wrote to the columnist cautioning him about giving a positive cast to "wizened" (pronounced with a short "i") as though it contained the root or association with "wise."

       Its root is from "Old English wisnian; akin to Old High German wesanen to wither"--Merriam Webster--and means "to become dry, shrunken, and wrinkled often as a result of aging or failing vitality."