Marching Double

Government Takeover Continues Its Deaf March

Obama Delegates The Listening To His "Friend" Bill

by Michael D. Hume, M.S.

If you haven't yet made your move to start your own business and grow and protect your wealth, you need to get on it. President Obama and his liberal colleagues in the U.S. federal government are marching double-time toward their goal of fundamentally transforming America into a Land Of No Opportunity... and their flawless execution of government takeover that transferred a sixth of the U.S. economy from private to public sector (under the Orwellian label of "health care reform") was only the beginning.

You undoubtedly know by now about the Washington "deal" everyone's talkiing about. After the drubbing the president's party took on Election Day, it looked as though the liberals would have no choice but to extend the hated "Bush tax cuts" - even for "The Wealthy" - despite repeated campaign promises to allow those rates to sunset on New Year's Eve. Of course, allowing those tax rates to expire would essentially create a massive tax increase in the worst of economic times, and would go far toward cratering the American economy. But it's not for that reason that the liberals will agree to an extension of the current rates. In fact, the entire aim of the "fundamental transformation" to socialism promised by the president is precisely that: to crater the free-market economy under the weight of taxes and entitlements in order to force its replacement with a totalitarian centrally-planned collectivist economy. The reasons they'll allow an extension are three: first, because the Republican victory at the polls last month means eventually the Democrats will have to accept lower taxes; second, because they can still make it a temporary extension, and promise again to jack up the tax rates in two years; and third, because they can package the tax rate extension with another God-awful "stimulus" package that includes such massive spending measures as the extension of unemployment benefits from a whopping 99 weeks to a staggering 155.

The president has been taking quite a bit of heat over this deal. His own base, the radical left wing of the Democrat party, is angry with him for not "standing on his core values" and insisting on taking this opportunity to jack up taxes, especially for "The Wealthy" (meaning, the demonized-by-liberals class of Americans who are the country's only hope for growing the economy and creating jobs). And, of course, the conservative majority of Americans have major indigestion over yet another wild spending spree.

Obama's situation is not without precedent. Bill Clinton, with majorities in both houses of Congress for the first two years of his first term (like Obama's had), predictably tried a liberal overreach into tax-and-spend policies and bloated government. Like Obama, Clinton suffered a pummelling at the polls in his first mid-term election in 1994, wherein the Republican party took control of both houses of Congress for the first time in decades.

In early 1995, Clinton gave his first major speech following the mid-term pummelling on the occasion of the annual State Of The Union address. In that speech, Clinton famously "pivoted" back toward the center, saying such things as "I feel your pain," "We hear you, loud and clear," and "The era of big government is over." From that point forward, Clinton and the conservative Congress collaborated sufficiently to lower taxes, slow the runaway train welfare had become, create some jobs, slow government growth, stimulate real economic growth, and even eliminate the federal deficit.

That's a list of accomplishments Barack Obama seems to be running away from as fast as he can. You can't collapse a free market and force a new collectivism with moves like that!

So, last week, Obama and Clinton threw together an impromptu surprise press conference for which the president stayed just long enough to introduce Bill and then skedaddle off to a White House holiday party. Clinton took questions (he didn't answer some of the harder ones, of course) and explained that the tax-rate extension/spending package was a "good deal" - as good a deal as the administration could get at this time.

This is far from replicating Clinton's classic pivot move. The gesture of last week's thrown-together presser makes intentions quite clear. What Obama is telling you now, America, is this: Bill Clinton still feels your pain. Bill Clinton still hears you, loud and clear. And Bill Clinton still thinks the era of big government is over.

If Obama himself felt any of these centrist stirrings, he'd have mentioned them himself.

In point of fact, though, he's on a completely different page. In Obama's mind, America's fundamental transformation to his party's long-sought socialist Utopia is so close you can almost smell it. And he will continue to keep his blinders on and his earplugs firmly in place as he attempts to sprint the nation to the aptly-named Finish.

Want a president to hear you? Have a chat with the husband of my biggest political rival.

Meanwhile, I'm off to a party.

About the Author

 

Michael Hume is a speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in helping people maximize their potential and enjoy inspiring lives. As part of his inspirational leadership mission, he coaches executives and leaders in growing their personal sense of well-being through wealth creation and management, along with personal vitality.

Those with an entrepreneurial spirit who want to make money "one less thing to worry about" can learn more about working with Michael at http://oneyearplan.net/michaeldhume

Anyone wanting to jump-start their vitality can browse through the best (and most travel-friendly) nutraceuticals on the market at http://shop.enivausa.com/239824

Michael and his wife, Kathryn, divide their time between homes in California and Colorado. They are very proud of their offspring, who grew up to include a homemaker, a rock star, a service talent, and a television expert. Two grandchildren also warm their hearts! Visit Michael's web site at http://michaelhume.net

Marching Double

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