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Archive for October, 2009

Stupid President Tricks
October 4th, 2009

Every President and Vice President must invoke the “SPT” at least once every 90 days or so. I think that is written somewhere in the Presidential Job Description Digest (more popularly known as the PJDD).

Now, the PJDD has several sections on SPT. They range from idiocy -

“It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.” [Vice President Dan Quayle]

To verbal missteps –

“…attraction of capital – that is really the best antidote for poverty.” [G.W. Bush]

To insensitivity –

“A tree is a tree. How many do you need to look at?” [Reagan when opposing National Forest Preservation bill]

“African Americans watch the same news at night that ordinary Americans do.” [Bill Clinton remarking about the new BET television channel]

And misinformation –

“No public money was used.” [Reagan when explaining the $4Million price tag for his elaborate inauguration]

I am not the only one in history that has found it ironic that the very people we entrust our futures and security to are often less than thoughtful. Congress is so full of choice stupidity that there is certainly a CJDD for them as well -

“Suppose you are an idiot,” Mark Twain offered, “and suppose you are a member of congress. But I repeat myself.”

We can’t entirely blame our representatives – for they are us and we are them. In 1998 a senatorial candidate from Oklahoma died a month before the election. He received 56,000 votes.

All this brings me the reason for this post.

In my opinion, Obama is one of the best presidents we have had in recent memory (and I have a long memory) – but he apparently is also bound by the SPT directives in the PJDD. This is evident by his foot-in-mouth position in the case of the arrest of a seriously contentious Harvard professor friend of his; to the declaration that “We must sustain a balanced budget” – the day after he pushed a deficit laden $700Billion stimulus bill through congress.

But maybe his best SPT to date is the latest. One in which he insists that businesses will hire more workers if congress passes healthcare reform legislation.

In all five (5) bills now being studied in congress, no actual ‘reforms’ will take place for two years.

I’m not sure which SPT section of the PSDD this belongs in. Maybe Obama is trying to get points for multiple section compliance. Maybe “Missteps, Insensitivity and Misinformation” all at once.

Those that have read these proposed bills and those millions that have lost – and continue to lose – jobs, find none of this funny or truthful – and certainly not reassuring.