The Great Swami-Obama
Albert Einstein said “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”. I’m afraid I must disagree and say “Insanity is watching somebody doing the same things over and over and actually believing that it represents change.”
With a stroke of the pen the new president has signed into law the ominous omnibus spending bill that has more pork in it than a McRib sandwich topped with bacon.
“I’m signing an imperfect omnibus bill because it is necessary for the ongoing functions of government” said the president. “But I also view this as a departure point for more far-reaching plans.” And here I thought the historic election and inauguration of this messenger of hope and change was the departure point. Apparently the departure point to “Changeville” is a few exits after the departure point to “The Same Old Crapsville”.
Actually the departure point is 8500 exits after, because that is the staggering number of individually earmarked pet projects in this bloated $410 billion spending spree.
At what point will the American taxpayer begin to realize that this is their money. The federal government has no funds of their own. Every dollar they get is a dollar somebody else has earned and paid in taxes. They are not a profit center and probably will not be holding a mega-sized bake sale. Republicans had been pressing the president to veto the bill and live up to his commitment to stop this type of drunken sailor spending (my apologies to drunken sailors everywhere). But that was not to be.
Instead of change what we got was rhetoric. Instead of action what we got was another opportunity for a photo op and time for this wordsmith president and his barely drinking age speechwriters to talk a good game but forfeit when it comes game time.
What the president did today took the skill of a master magician and more smoke and mirrors than a Siegfried and Roy Vegas revue. Like a master of prestidigitation the president has learned the art of deflection and misdirection. “We can’t have Congress bogged down at this critical juncture in our economic recovery” said the Great Swami-Obama. And with a wave of his hand POOF the focus on 8500 earmarks was gone along with almost half a trillion tax dollars.
But this magic act, which has worked so well for the thoughtful autobiographer, is only capable of inspiring awe in those who are truly looking to be fooled. And as the debt continues to pile up and any sign of actual economic recovery continues to get pushed farther back the number of audience members satisfied with hocus pocus will grow slimmer and the number of folks demanding results will grow.
While signing this budget buster into law the president called on Congress to enact a series of overhauls to tamp down the scope of earmarks. Apparently the president is unaware that the pen is mightier than the sword and if he wants earmarks to be tamped he has got the biggest tamper on the block.
The president then trotted out his favorite and now very tired expression “the old way of doing business”. He has used that expression so much that just repeating it again is becoming the old way of doing business. He said “This piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability that the American people have every right to expect and demand.”
Actually Mr. President, we had every right to expect and demand that the moment after you said “I do” two months ago.
