The Chicago Way

Al Capone

Today on talk radio Mark Styne used the term “The Chicago Way” to describe the tactic that David Plouffe, a “political adviser” of President Obama, is using to smear the Republican head of the House Oversight Committee, Darrell Issa (see: Huffington Post Story).  Plouffe zinged Issa on Twitter as “Mr. Grand Theft” and “Insurance Swindler,” referring to 30 and 40 year old possible blots on Issa’s record.  No matter that these charges were not legally pursued in either case, clearly these libels are meant to blunt Issa’s attempt to get to the bottom of the numerous Obama scandals … shades of Bill Clinton’s response to his many dishonors (particularly his vicious and press-abetted smears on the Special Prosecutor, Ken Starr.)

We see the Windy City Way repeated over and over again in the career of the President … often spearheaded by his consigliore, David Axelrod.  First, when Obama ran for the Illinois Senate and then later for the U.S. Senate … for the sordid details in both cases see: US Politics Story.  Even, lily-pure Mitt Romney was besmirched last year as best as could be done … in that he “murdered” the wife of one of his employees … and he tortured his dog on the top of his car.  Now, under the aegis of our President, the Obama administration has been exposed for more Al Capone-type thuggery, but on a far far grander scale … in the IRS’s targeted suppression of conservative groups and the sordid and far-ranging Justice Department wire-tapping of AP and Fox News reporters.  Representative Issa now has the unenviable task of getting to the bottom of these political outrages.

How could anyone be surprised by these Chi-Town methods ... really?

Afterward: See also: Breitbart Story for a more complete explanation of the charges against Issa.

Plouffer Nutter

David Plouffe

The person who supposedly got The Barry elected in 2008, David Plouffe, went whistling past the graveyard last week when he said that a high unemployment rate won't sink Obama's chances in next year's election (see: Plouffe Prediction).  Now, since Plouffe is again The Barry's chief campaign strategist and manager, his words carry some import.  Even the conservative columnist, Charles Krauthammer, believes that it will not be the absolute level of unemployment that makes the difference in the upcoming election.  It will be the trend that is important.  If things seem to be getting better, then The Barry might win once again.

Color me sceptical ... both in the validity of these theories and in the outlook for our economy improving.  And the reasons I am chary about The Barry's re-election chances (other than the fact that I think he has been a horrid hack as a President) are as follows:

- The almost trillion dollar stimulus that the Democrats passed shortly after Obama was inaugurated did little other than to insure the retention of state government workers who would have otherwise been laid off (apparently the "saved jobs" that were so cleverly touted).  As The Barry himself has admitted the real intent of that stimulus was a dud, "The shovel-ready jobs weren't as shovel-ready as we thought."  Now the wave of financial crises in many states is causing them to axe many of those same state workers who should have gone packing two years ago.

- The only bright employment sector of the U.S. economy has been federal workers.  Housing prices in and around Washington, DC have been strong ... reflecting continued profligate hiring and hefty pay raises for these pampered federal employees.  If the Republicans get their way with meaningful government spending cuts in exchange for their votes to raise the government debt ceiling, then this rosy federal employment picture should dim considerably. This may be the chief reason Democrats are digging in their heels on this issue ... and would rather raise income taxes instead.  They must be saying to themselves, "These are our voters who will be in the bread lines."

- Worldwide economic malaise, particularly in the European Economic Community is not going to disappear overnight.  When Greece defaults on its debts sometime in the next twelve months (as it most probably will), the repercussions will be felt around the world ... maybe even with cascading defaults in Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and even Italy.  This clearly will not boost economic or employment prospects here in the United States.

And I don't think it is an accident that so many top Obama economic advisers are abandoning him ... maybe even to include little Timmy Geithner.  I think that they see the obit writing on the wall ... just as I think I do.