Throw Back The Little Ones

Mysteries
The most obvious problem is unemployment. The best way, short term, to drive the deficit down is to spur growth and get Americans back to work. Has anyone noticed that Americans with jobs can provide for their families, put money into the economy — and, oh yes, pay taxes that increase revenue and thus cut the deficit? 


There is no mystery about the steps government could take. Ramping up public works spending is a twofer: It creates jobs upfront and provides the nation’s businesses and workers the ways and means to boost their own productivity down the road.  (E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post, 7/18/2011)


We'll say it again.  Where was pal E.J. when Republicans were screaming about jobs two years ago?  He was shilling for Obama's health care fiasco.  Jobs were the farthest things from the collective mind of the Left.  Now they are all about the jobs.  And not just any jobs!  Public sector jobs!  The ones with high salaries, lifetime guaranteed employment, abundant benefits and gigantic pensions.  The very same issues that have led numerous states to the brink of bankruptcy.


Suddenly
All of a sudden he’s a born-again budget balancer prepared to bravely take on his own party by making deep cuts in entitlements. Really? Name one. He’s been saying forever that he’s prepared to discuss, engage, converse about entitlement cuts. But never once has he publicly proposed a single structural change to any entitlement. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 7/14/2011)


On the plus side, Obama is the first Democrat to say anything about entitlement reform, notwithstanding Krauthammer's point that he is being disingenuous.  Most take the Bernie Sanders approach and just say that everything is fine.


Elitists
President Obama recruited roughly 150 new elite donors, raising as much as a half a million dollars each, to help propel him to a large and early lead over his Republican opponents in the race for campaign cash, according to campaign filings released last week. (NYT, 7/18/2011)


Speaking of Bernie, where is he when we need him?  Shouldn't he be screaming about the pernicious effects of big money....in the Democrat party?