Who’s in Charge: Barack H. Bush or George W. Obama?

RANCHO SANTA FE, CA., March 29, 2011 – Democrats and Republicans have finally found a point of agreement:  they’re both confused by the President’s positions on Libya, oil drilling and other issues.  We are witnessing a political metamorphosis:  Barack H. Obama is merging with the psyche of George W. Bush to become a hybrid of liberal conservatism.  Or is it conservative liberalism?  We now have a Nobel Peace Prize winner invading Libya without Congressional consent and supporting offshore drilling in Brazil while banning it in the United States.  The whole thing is very confusing.

Why can’t the President just consistently choose between alternatives?  It’s like picking a race.  Just pick the one you think will win.  It can’t be any harder than predicting the NCAA brackets.

In 2002, Mr. Obama had clarity:  “dumb war(s)” were wrong, and “brutal … ruthless” dictators were “bad guy(s).”  However, he stated that we should just ignore them if they “pose(d) no imminent and direct threat to the United States” and they could be “contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, (they fall) away into the dustbin of history.”  Sounds like a plan … particularly when our country is already supporting troops in a variety of other countries and we’re running out of money.

In December of 2007, then-candidate Obama said, "The President does not have the power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation."  Of course, maybe things have changed.  In the old days, a President didn’t have the power to declare a law unconstitutional and order the Department of Justice not to enforce it … but, as we recently learned, that rule no longer applies.

Now, President Obama has chosen to support military action in Libya without first conferring with Congress.  President Bush was supposed to have cornered the market on trampling constitutional rights.  Now, he apparently has some competition.

The two Presidents appear to have other traits in common.  President Bush was criticized for taking too many vacations.  President Obama has taken vacationing to a whole new level.  No one before him has had the audacity to launch a military attack while enjoying a luxurious trip in a foreign country.

Of course, President Obama was in Brazil to conduct business as well.  After he threw $2 billion at Brazil’s off-shore drilling efforts last summer, the Brazilian government owed the President a few rounds of golf and some really nice dinners.  Meanwhile, offshore drilling is still banned in the United States.

Joseph Mason, author of “The Economic Cost of a Moratorium on Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration to the Gulf Region,” testified that the U.S. ban has cost 19,000 jobs and about $1.1 billion in lost wages.  Perhaps, the President could have invested the original $2 billion in offshore drilling at home … but then, where would he have vacationed?

Then there’s the incident that’s been somewhat quashed by the main stream media pertaining to photos that have emerged of American soldiers allegedly posing over the dead bodies of Afghan citizens.  Remember Abu Ghraib?  That was President Bush’s fault.  There was general agreement that the related prison photos incited terrorists to rise up against the United States.  Just to be clear:  the current pictures are far worse.  Hopefully, the terrorists will cut us some slack for having closed Guantanamo.  Oops!

So, how does one choose whom to support.  Do zealots on the Right switch over to President Obama’s camp because he’s invading countries, deposing dictators, and at least drilling offshore for oil somewhere?  Do stalwarts on the Left continue to support the President because he’s a registered Democrat, has a partial claim to a minority status, and isn’t afraid to expand government and run up massive debt?

Then again, the Bush Administration was pretty good at expanding government and running up debt when “W” was in office.  The distinctions have become so blurred.

Maybe President Obama is preparing to switch parties.  Perhaps the November “shellacking” pushed him in that direction.  Could that be the “change” he was talking about?

If he did switch parties, I would provide us with yet one more comparison to President Reagan (who formally changed parties in 1962).  Besides, by switching parties, President Obama would be demonstrating true bipartisanship … and possible bi-polarity as well!

If he pulled it off, he might be in a position to win by a landslide in 2012.  The pillagers of the planet and hawks on the Right might find him to be more to their liking, and the Liberals on the Left might be too afraid of appearing “politically incorrect” to vote against him.  The President would have a chance to fool both sides this time!  It’s beginning to make sense to me now.  The man is a genius.  Four more years!  Four more years!

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T.J. O’Hara is a political satirist, media personality and author of three new books:  The Left isn’t Right, The Right is Wrong, and The National Platform of Common Sense.  Read more of T.J.’s work at The Common Sense Czar in the Communities at the Washington Times.

Website:                        www.TheCommonSenseCzar.net

To Order Books:           http://tinyurl.com/2a9rztg

Facebook Fan Page:  http://tinyurl.com/2dlwum7

Tweet the Czar:            @TCSCzar

*****

Copyright © 2011 T.J. O’Hara. To support viral distribution, this article may be copied, reprinted, forwarded, linked, or published in any form as long as proper attribution is given to the author and no changes are made.

Poor Rich Man Michael Moore

RANCHO SANTA FE, CA., March 20, 2011 – Movie mogul Michael Moore has been encouraging middle-class Americans to rise up against the evil rich and their minion Governors, first in Wisconsin...now in Michigan,.  As he said on March 5th, "America is not broke.  Not by a long shot.  The country is awash in wealth and cash.  It's just that it’s not in your hands.  It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich ...  The only thing that's broke is the moral compass of the rulers.  And we aim to fix that compass and steer the ship ourselves from now on."  Makes for a good movie … don’t you think?

Speaking of which, it will be interesting to see if “uber-rich” (at least by most people’s humble standards) Michael Moore will somehow find a way to profit from the protests.  His cameras have been running at both rallies, he’s been capturing interviews, and he’s been hyping the events on Twitter while directing traffic to his website to watch the live feed.  Hmmm … it almost sounds like a trailer for one of his one dimensional documentaries.

The term one dimensional seems to fit because Michael is refreshingly honest about his bias.  He doesn’t pretend that his documentaries are objective.  He admits that they reflect his strong belief that corporate America is out to destroy middle-class working families.  What’s ironic is how he delivers the message to the masses.

Moore has been twittering away in recent days about the solidarity of the people and the dramatic message they are sending to the morally bankrupt government officials who serve as mere puppets of the “uber-rich.”  He tweeted, “Every CEO, every teacher-hater, every rich f*** on the Forbes 400 will b hoping against hope that no one shows up in Madison...”

When you’re trying to rally the troops, it’s best to use absolute stereotypes like that.  It doesn’t matter whether the stereotypes are fair … or even remotely true … as long as the desired effect is achieved (i.e., elevating passion to the degree that reason no longer matters).  It works as well in real life as it does in the movies.  So, just for clarity:  according to Moore’s rash generalization, George Soros and the Koch Brothers apparently have a lot in common.

Michael also espouses that it’s the people of Wisconsin who were sending a message in last week’s protest.  Interestingly enough, Michael’s tweets include:

• “From Flint & Cleveland, fr Chicago & St. Louis, fr the Twin Cities & beyond, I'm getting tweets texts & emails fr ppl On the Road 2 Madison!

• “Getting msgs fr ppl in Cincy, DesMoines, Indy, Detroit, IowaCity, TraverseCity, Springfield, Toledo: "We're on the road to Madison!”

Did you notice that the people were coming from other States?  So, you’ve got a big, boisterous crowd that purportedly represents the will of the people of Wisconsin … made up of a lot of people who aren’t from Wisconsin.

Then, the “Wisconsin” attendees were encouraged to “march” to Lansing for this week’s protest.  Someone should check with the NLRB.  There may be an opportunity to organize a Professional Protestors’ Union.

At one point, The Czar tweeted a suggestion to Michael:  organize a “march on Washington, D.C. where the Prez doesn’t need ‘comfortable shoes’ because Fed. Employees are banned from organizing” (ever since the Carter Administration).  Strangely enough, Michael didn’t tweet back.

He did tweet:  “Susan Sarandon speaking now.  Rally has begun early!  If you're near the capitol, try to make you're way there now!”   It’s always great to hear millionaire celebrities encouraging action on the part of the middle-class with whom they would otherwise not associate.  It’s also fascinating that those in attendance never seem to be troubled by the paradox.

Michael Moore has every right to promote the events and fan the flames of democracy to support his personal beliefs.  He also has the right to promote the events and fan the flames of democracy to support his career.  You see, Michael Moore makes a ton of money making documentary movies.

He films real people and real events and edits the content to support his personal point of view.  He doesn’t need to pay union scale to anyone.  His “actors” are free and don’t demand any residuals.  Michael gets to keep all of the money.

No special effects are required … just a cooperative crowd, a few interviews, and a director’s cut that eliminates any opposing opinion.  This is freedom of controlled speech at its finest!

Now, in fairness to Mr. Moore, I don’t know if he’ll attempt to profit once again off of the backs of the poor middle-class he likes to verbally defend.  I do know that, if he does make a film, millions will flock to see it.  Those who attended the events will go to the movie to see if they’re in it … and they’ll take their friends and family members.  Those who believe that Moore is the bastion of the middle-class will go to the movie to pay homage to their leader.  Others might attend … just to see a movie.

In any event, it will be interesting to see if Michael Moore adds to his personal fortune by making a non-union film about the exploitation of union workers by millionaires … like him.  As honest as he is, he may have been telling us of his plan since the beginning.  Perhaps “Roger & Me” really alluded to the fact that there’s not much difference between the two of them.  Will someone please pass the popcorn to me?

*****

T.J. O’Hara is a political satirist, media personality and author of three new books:  The Left isn’t Right, The Right is Wrong, and The National Platform of Common Sense.  He will be the Guest Host of The Rick Amato Show on February 25th on 1170 AM, KCBQ, San Diego, from 7:00-8:00 PM PST.  Listen live via the Internet at http://AmatoTalk.com.  Read more of T.J.’s work at The Common Sense Czar in the Communities at the Washington Times.

Website:                       www.TheCommonSenseCzar.net

To Order Books:          http://tinyurl.com/2a9rztg

Facebook Fan Page:  http://tinyurl.com/2dlwum7

Tweet the Czar:            @TCSCzar

*****

Copyright © 2011 T.J. O’Hara. To support viral distribution, this article may be copied, reprinted, forwarded, linked, or published in any form as long as proper attribution is given to the author and no changes are made.

Radical Truth and the Sin of Incongruity

RANCHO SANTA FE, CA., March 14, 2011 – Rep. Peter King is chairing controversial committee hearings about “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response” … and some clarification is in order.

First of all, President Obama was very concerned when a staff member mentioned “the King hearings on radical Muslims in America.”  The President firmly stated that he had not called for such hearings nor would he.  Then, he realized the “King” to which his staff member was referring was not the President; it was Rep. Peter King, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.  Problem solved!

Let’s also dismiss the idea that these hearings are a “witch hunt.”  If they were, Christine O’Donnell and Charlie Sheen almost certainly would be involved.

In all seriousness, the hearings are walking a tight rope.  Shouts of McCarthyism, internment camps, etc. emanate from the Left.  These are legitimate concerns that need to be addressed.  The First Amendment and an acknowledgment of our past indiscretions should guide us to better analyses and recommendations this time around.

Conversely, Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), recently testified before the House Committee:  “I actually consider Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, with al-Awlaki as a leader within that organization, probably the most significant risk to the U.S. homeland.”   Keep in mind that al-Awlaki’s modus operandi is the recruitment and radicalization of American Muslims.

Even Secretary Napolitano has acknowledged that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) needs to focus upon domestic terrorism and homegrown radicalization … and Janet usually likes to pretend that everything is under control.  Then again, maybe she’s just referring to Republicans and Tea Party members as “domestic terrorists” since they seem to strike the most fear in her heart.

The most interesting element of this debate is how it reflects upon the disingenuous intellectual terrorism that currently permeates this country.  As The Common Sense Czar, I’m going to exempt most Conservatives and Liberals from this assessment as their differences of opinion can be refereed.  I’m talking about the radical fringes of the Right and the Left that refuse to agree on the day of the week. 

Let’s review a few things:

• The far Right supports Right to Life but is in favor of the Death Penalty; whereas the far Left is against the Death Penalty but is okay with the killing of unborn babies.

• The far Right thinks that George Soros is using his money to destroy the Republic but it’s okay for the Koch Brothers to spread some cash around to support the Conservative agenda; whereas the far Left thinks that the Koch Brothers are using their money to destroy the Republic but it’s okay for George Soros to spread some cash around to support the Liberal agenda.

• The far Right thinks that unions are corrupt organizations that are sucking the life out of America but that the selfish practices of “big business” are not a threat; whereas the far Left thinks that “big businesses” are corrupt organizations that are sucking the life out of America but that the selfish practices of unions are not a threat.

• The far Right thinks that it’s okay to infer that Muslims, Mosques, etc. should to be monitored because of the behavior of a few radicals, but that it’s inappropriate to generalize that gun owners are dangerous as a class because of the behavior of a few radicals; whereas, the far Left thinks that it’s okay to infer that gun owners are dangerous as a class because of the behavior of a few radicals, but that it’s inappropriate to generalize that that Muslims, Mosques, etc. should to be monitored because of the behavior of a few radicals.

Get the picture?

Apparently, inflammatory language is only wrong when it comes from the other side; juvenile behavior is only insulting when it is associated with the other side; protests are only unruly when they are staged by the other side; death threats only count when they are made by the other side.

An early chapter of The National Platform of Common Sense ponders the application of the “Seven Deadly Sins” to today’s political environment.  Perhaps it’s time to add an eighth to the list:  Incongruity.

Without taking sides on the Wisconsin issue, it was at least entertaining to hear State Senator Spencer Coggs (D-WI) say that “18 Republican Senators stole democracy from the people of the State of Wisconsin” while he has been hiding in Illinois (along with his 13 colleagues) to avoid a democratic vote for the past several weeks.  Incongruity?  You decide.

Without taking sides on the Homeland Security Committee hearings, there are approximately 10 million Muslims in the United States (out of 310 million people).  To suggest that they are all in jeopardy of becoming radicalized is absurd.  To suggest that none of them are susceptible to becoming radicalized is equally absurd. 

During the hearings this week, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) made an eloquent and impassioned plea not to “assign collective blame to a whole group” because of the actions of a few.  He said, “This is the very heart of stereotyping and scapegoating.”  He’s absolutely right.

Of course, the same statement would be correct if applied to any of the gross generalizations that are the signatures of the far Right and far Left.  All union members are “thugs.”  All gun owners (and conservative pundits) are responsible for the shootings in Tucson, Arizona.  All illegal immigrants are criminals … or responsible citizens merely in pursuit of the American Dream.  These “absolutes” share only one trait in common:  they are all absolutely wrong.

The Czar is reminded of two of his father’s adages during The Czar’s formative years:  “An empty barrel makes the most noise” … and “A squeaky wheels gets the most grease.”  If we start to recognize that those who proffer disingenuous intellectual terrorism are really just “empty barrels” … and we can avoid the temptation to instinctively give them “the most grease” (in the form of media attention)

When the current hearings fade away, let’s start a new round:  “The Extent of Radicalization in American Politics and Reasonable Americans’ Response.”  Once we eliminate the sin of Incongruity and accept the radical truth that there are very few “truths” among radicals, we may finally be able to begin to solve our Nation’s problems.

*****

T.J. O’Hara is a political satirist, media personality and author of three new books:  The Left isn’t Right, The Right is Wrong, and The National Platform of Common Sense.  He will be the Guest Host of The Rick Amato Show on March 25th on 1170 AM, KCBQ, San Diego, from 7:00-8:00 PM PST.  Listen live via the Internet at http://AmatoTalk.com.  Read more of T.J.’s work at The Common Sense Czar in the Communities at the Washington Times.

Website:                        www.TheCommonSenseCzar.net

To Order Books:          http://tinyurl.com/2a9rztg

Facebook Fan Page:  http://tinyurl.com/2dlwum7

Tweet the Czar:            @TCSCzar

 

*****

Copyright © 2011 T.J. O’Hara. To support viral distribution, this article may be copied, reprinted, forwarded, linked, or published in any form as long as proper attribution is given to the author and no changes are made.

Celebrities, Politicians and Clinical Narcissism

RANCHO SANTA FE, CA., March 11, 2011 – With union battles looming and the debt ceiling rapidly approaching, larger-than-life personalities are taking center stage … unfortunately.  In the category of Certifiable Personalities, today’s Final Jeopardy answer is “Muammar al-Gaddafi, Charlie Sheen and many of our politicians have this in common” … and remember to respond in the form of a question.  Bet it all!  It wouldn’t take a Watson to get this one right.  Alex … what is “Clinical Narcissism?”  Correct!  You’re our new Jeopardy Champion!  The judges would have accepted “lunacy” as well.  That seems to be the state of celebrities and political “leaders” these days.

There’s no truth to the rumor that CBS and Libya are negotiating a trade:  Charlie bringing his “genius” to Libya in return for Gaddafi reprising the lead role in Two and a Half Men.  Libya likes the deal because Sheen has promised not to bomb its citizens … at least for a little while … and CBS likes the deal because it wants a more stable, less egotistical star.

Unfortunately, we often don’t have as many attractive options when it comes to our politicians.  Besides, it’s also getting harder to locate them.  They don’t even vote “present” at the State level any more.

We’re nearing a time when we may need to cast our votes for officials in neighboring States.  For example, Wisconsin and Indiana residents might be required to vote for officials in Illinois … where their politicians end up any way.

If reducing our National Debt is really a big deal, let’s start by eliminating the Supreme Court.  The President can just declare what’s constitutional, and the Department of Justice can selectively enforce the law according to the President’s pronouncements.

In that same regard, we could eliminate the Legislature as well.  If the President can decide what’s constitutional without the intervention of the Judicial Branch of our government, why not assume that we no longer need the Legislative Branch to vote on the law in the first place?  Let’s just eliminate the middle man!

Since the Tenth Amendment is pretty much being ignored, we can stop wasting time and money on State legislatures as well.  Again, let’s just let the President determine whether an issue is an “assault” by one party on another and be done with it.

We can declare our borders “safe” as well … regardless of the facts.  We actually need illegal immigrants to continue to provide a disproportionate percentage of our prison population.  Otherwise, we’ll have to include penitentiaries in the President’s economic recovery strategy of selling underutilized federal buildings.  Have you ever tried to sell a prison?  It’s not easy!

There’s also the issue of protecting the collective bargaining rights of public sector employees.  If the President would just step up and directly address this, it might allow us to do away with Republicans and Tea Partiers.  Another huge cost savings!  Then again, he might have to explain why he hasn’t done away with the ban on collective bargaining among federal workers that was imposed by the Carter Administration.

If we didn’t need the Department of Justice to be in a position to not enforce federal law, we could do away with it as well.  Recently, the Department of Homeland Security prosecuted and won a case in which the judge’s verdict permitted the DHS to shut down three websites that were found guilty of providing child pornography.  The DHS quickly shut down the three sites … along with about 84,000 other unrelated sites that were terminated by accident.  Hey, the government needed a way to test the Internet “kill switch” the Administration’s been pushing to have approved, and this might have been as good a way as any to do it.

Luckily, we can still waste money on a parole hearing for Sirhan Sirhan.  He says he doesn’t remember killing Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel back in 1968, and he’s hoping that we won’t remember either.  His attorney believes a second gunman killed Kennedy despite what the video tapes clearly show and the eye witnesses observed.  It may be the same guy that took the shot from the grassy knoll a few years before.  Parole is a long shot though, as Sirhan Sirhan will have to express responsibility and remorse for a crime he says he doesn’t remember.  Then again, perhaps the ACLU will enter the fray and petition for his release on the grounds that his constitutional rights have been violated as an oppressed illegal alien.

Okay … enough of this!  It’s time for The Common Sense Czar to return us to reality of the declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  Here are his common sense fixes:

• Elected Officials:  Show up for work or we’ll replace you … just like we do when private sector employees don’t show up for work.
• Department of Justice:  Go back to enforcing the law as it stands … on a non-selective basis.  Leave it up to the Judicial Branch to strike down laws that are unconstitutional and allow the Legislative Branch to draft new laws subject to judicial review.
• President Obama:  Go back and read the notes you must have had when you were a Senior lecturer on Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago.  Check out the first three Articles so you’ll have a little more clarity of the separation of powers between the three Branches of government.  Then, reread the Ninth and Tenth Amendments.
• Border Integrity:  Let Afghanistan sort out its own problems.  Bring our troops back, line them up on the border, and tell them to pretend they’re still in Afghanistan.
• Public Sector Union Employees:  Collectively bargain to your hearts content … wages, benefits, pensions … who cares?  Let federal employees join a union as well if they so choose.  However, let’s pass a law that indexes their wages, benefits, pensions, etc. to the average compensation packages of the private sector.  Since taxpayers are effectively the public sector’s equivalent of shareholders, no one is getting rich off the fruits of public employees’ labor.  The risk of mistreatment just isn’t there.  And since these jobs exist to serve the public interest, lets go with the theory that “all men are created equal” and eliminate the lifetime pensions, etc. that went away in the private sector two or three decades ago.
• Department of Homeland Security:  Focus on preventing terrorist, drugs and illegal aliens from entering our borders rather than identifying three child pornography websites.  The Department of Justice can handle that issue if it gets back to doing its job.
• Sirhan Sirhan:  We’re going to take you off the parole list … along with Charlie Manson.  It’s just a waste of time and money.  If you do get out, you might want to audition for the Two and a Half Men gig.  It’s a long shot, but Gaddafi is only a 2:1 favorite.

See how easy it is when you apply common sense?  The Man Who Would Be King was just a movie; a film adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s short story.  Let’s stop putting the entire burden on a single individual.  If our Founding Fathers wanted a King, they would have called for one and scrapped the whole “Constitution” idea.  Correspondingly, the President needs to divorce himself from the belief that he can disregard the Constitution he swore to defend.  He should just leave “Clinical Narcissism” to the experts.  Charlie and Muammar seem up to the task.

*****

T.J. O’Hara is a political satirist, media personality and author of three new books:  The Left isn’t Right, The Right is Wrong, and The National Platform of Common Sense.  He will be the Guest Host of The Rick Amato Show on March 25th on 1170 AM, KCBQ, San Diego, from 7:00-8:00 PM PST.  Listen live via the Internet at http://AmatoTalk.com.  Read more of T.J.’s work at The Common Sense Czar in the Communities at the Washington Times.

Website:                        www.TheCommonSenseCzar.net

To Order Books:          http://tinyurl.com/2a9rztg

Facebook Fan Page:  http://tinyurl.com/2dlwum7

Tweet the Czar:            @TCSCzar

***** 

Copyright © 2011 T.J. O’Hara. To support viral distribution, this article may be copied, reprinted, forwarded, linked, or published in any form as long as proper attribution is given to the author and no changes are made

Wisconsin’s Unhappy Re-Union

RANCHO SANTA FE, CA., March 2, 2011 – For the first time in American history, a State’s elected representatives are “absent without leave.”  Madison, Wisconsin has become the battleground for a new type of labor/management disagreement:  public employee union workers versus the State’s elected officials (or at least those elected officials who actually go to work).  As you might expect, there are a lot of misconceptions floating around because it makes for good TV.  It’s time for “common sense” to fill the void!

As a college student, Scott Walker once ran for presidency of the Associated Students of Marquette University.  He was accused of violating some campaign guidelines and admitted to some of the transgressions.  The Marquette Tribune declared him "unfit for the presidency" … and a promising career in the real world of politics was born.

Governor Walker has held various positions at the State and Local level in Wisconsin.  In his prior offices, he has demonstrated an ability to restore fiscal responsibility and “walked his talk” while doing it.  As Milwaukee County Executive, he voluntarily gave back nearly 50% of his salary for several years to demonstrate his commitment.

When the Governor cites Wisconsin’s “$3.8 billion deficit,” he’s citing a trend rather than the current reality.  Wisconsin is actually running a $137 million deficit that’s projected to be $3.8 billion in the next two-year budget.  So, the Governor is “fanning the flames” a bit.  If he used the President’s economic logic, he just as reasonably could have projected a balanced budget … maybe even a surplus!

Governor Walker’s proposal strips away collective bargaining rights except with respect to wages.  However, wages are capped by the Consumer Price Index unless otherwise approved by voter referendum.  This is patently unfair!  Why should the voters have any say in how taxpayer dollars are spent?  This is America!

The Left smells blood at this point and begins to circle the wagons.  Union members and Liberal supporters swarm the Capitol building.  Republicans are blamed for trying to break the unions on behalf of “big business.”  There’s only one problem:  the unions in question only represent government employees; there isn’t a “big business” to be found.  Never mind … just ignore that.

Interestingly, government employees have lost their collective bargaining rights in Indiana and Missouri in the last few years, and 24 other States have eliminated or at least limited collective bargaining for government employees as well.  To add insult to injury, a renowned Conservative President once condemned the thought of collective bargaining for government employees … Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Okay, bad example!

Just out of curiosity:  why would FDR be against it (other than not having had the advice and counsel of President Obama)?  It seems that some people are just naturally skeptical about a process like the following:  union workers pay dues; part of their dues is used to get certain candidates elected; the union then negotiates for higher wages with those same elected officials; and the higher wages result in more union dues.   Hmmm … what could go wrong with that scenario?

The Wisconsin legislation also calls for government union workers to pay 5.8% of their salaries toward their pensions and 12.6% of the cost of their health care coverage … as opposed to the zero percent they pay today.  In The Left isn’t Right, The Czar pays tribute to the savvy marketing of the Democratic Party while in The Right is Wrong he decries the inept marketing instincts of the Republican Party.  This is a great example.

President Obama played the “middle-class card” (which is beginning to trump the well-worn “race card”).  “It’s very important for us to understand that public employees, they’re our neighbors, they’re our friends … it’s important not to vilify them or to suggest that somehow all these budget problems are due to public employees.”  This connects the government union workers to the masses at a more personal level.  Great move! 

The Republicans, true to form, countered with their doe-in-headlights strategy of “we’re just trying to reduce the deficit.”  If they thought like Democrats, they would have isolated the government union workers and “cut them from the herd;” demonizing them in the minds of their middle-class counterparts.

How so?  Just point out that “neighbors and friends” of the government union workers earn about $12,000¹ less per year in similar jobs and have to pay 7.5% for their pensions² and 20% for their health care coverage.³  The legislation just tries to level the playing field a little.  When you think of it that way, it seems like the Governor is just trying to stop the union’s “assault” on poor middle-class citizens in the private sector who are trying to survive today’s economy while working hard and paying their own way.

Then, the Republicans could point out that the legislation explicitly excludes those government union workers who protect and defend the property of those same middle class citizens:  the police and firefighters.  This always tugs at the heartstrings of the masses, but those on the Right seem to have lost touch with that nuance years ago.

Republicans have done a fair job of mocking the hypocrisy of the Senate Democrats’ ploy to run and hide in another State.  This juvenile, “we’ll hold our breath until we turn blue” strategy is an embarrassment.  It appears that Illinois has become Canada to Wisconsin’s Vietnam.  Let’s just grant amnesty to the Senate Democrats.  Maybe they’ll come back to Wisconsin and do the job they were elected (and paid) to do.  Otherwise, they’d better hope that voters no longer distinguish between conscientious objectors and real veterans.

While the United States is actually a Republic, our politicians (who apparently haven’t read, or at least don’t understand the Constitution) like to refer to our country as a democracy.  For a moment, let’s accept their premise.  In the Middle East, protestors are clamoring for a democracy, while in Madison, Wisconsin, we have politicians trying to avoid one.  Here’s the dilemma:  you can’t have “Majority Rule” only when you have a majority!  Step up and do your jobs … or step down.  There are plenty of unemployed individuals who would love to take your place.

And while we’re beating that drum, let’s not leave out the teachers.  While they may not be in class, they are certainly still teaching our youth.  On the positive side, they’re teaching them “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”  Excellent!  Unfortunately, they’re also teaching our children that it’s all right to lie (about being sick), cheat (by filing for sick pay), and steal (by accepting payment).  Do you know what this means?  It means that there’s a whole new generation of politicians being properly trained by our teachers.

Of course, the venerable “profession” of medicine has also joined in the fray.  Well meaning physicians have displayed the propensity to distort the Hippocratic Oath to one spelled nearly the same.  By willfully aiding and abetting the perpetration of a fraud (in the form of issuing false “excuses”), they reinforce the public’s growing concern over the sanctity of our health care system.  In some perverted way, the President may be able to use this as an example of why health care reform is so vital.  If driving out fraud is important, let’s start with the doctors.

Perhaps the most interesting element of this drama is the lens through which it allows us to view the present state of politics.  Shuffle a few pictures of the union protestors in Wisconsin with protestors at the Tea Party rally of your choice.  Then, try to separate the two.  It won’t be easy.

One of the popular placards in Wisconsin featured a coiled snake with the slogan “Don’t Tread on Me.”  Another said, “Death to Tyrants.”  Yet another said “Don’t Retreat … Reload” with cross-hairs over a picture of Governor Wallace.  Just when you thought that only the extremists on the Right used that type of rhetoric!  Maybe the union workers were just trying to be “fiscally conservative” and bought their signs secondhand.

Then, there’s Nancy Pelosi.  Nancy tweeted “workers must have a seat at the table to fight for good wages & a safe workplace-I stand in solidarity (with the union).”  Wow … that’s so Sixties!  Right on, Nancy!  Power to the people!

Let’s tie that back to the Tea Party.  Picture members of the Tea Party … surrounding our Nation’s Capitol … having bought back all of their signs.  Would Nancy “stand in solidarity” with them; would she lobby for their “seat at the table” to fight for a better economy and a safer country; or would she run the maze of tunnels under the Capitol with her fellow Murinae to escape across the Potomac just beyond the reach of the Sergeant at Arms?  The Czar will place some Wisconsin cheese in the tunnel to guide you, but please don’t stop to eat it.

If it sounds like The Czar is disgusted by the whole charade, it’s because he is.  The Tenth Amendment is pretty clear.  This is an issue for the Wisconsin State legislature.  While the First Amendment gives our federal officials the right to comment, sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.  There are enough things for them to fix in Washington, D.C. without venturing beyond their jurisdiction.  Maybe if the Beltway crowd demonstrated a little more success in resolving their budgetary issues, the States might be more inclined to listen to what the feds have to say.

If the President and other federal officials, looking for their Andy Warhol 15-minutes of fame, continue to weigh in on this matter of State’s rights, The Czar will have to continue traveling around the country apologizing for our federal arrogance.  Who knows?  If he does it enough, maybe he’ll win some sort of Peace Prize … or the Medal of Freedom.

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T.J. O’Hara is a political satirist, media personality and author of three new books:  The Left isn’t Right, The Right is Wrong, and The National Platform of Common Sense.  He will be the Guest Host of The Rick Amato Show on March 25th on 1170 AM, KCBQ, San Diego, from 7:00-8:00 PM PST.  Listen live via the Internet at http://AmatoTalk.com.  Read more of T.J.’s work at The Common Sense Czar in the Communities at the Washington Times.

Website:                        www.TheCommonSenseCzar.net

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¹ Fox News

² Bureau of labor Statistics

³ Employee Benefits Research Institute

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Copyright © 2011 T.J. O’Hara. To support viral distribution, this article may be copied, reprinted, forwarded, linked, or published in any form as long as proper attribution is given to the author and no changes are made.