How ironic is it that since Barack Obama became president, every community in the world seems a little less organized?...WH Press Secretary
- When I first started publishing the Political War Zone, my intent was to post perhaps 3-4 times a week. But that's been almost impossible with the jokers we have in D.C. I feel like Pacino's character in "Godfather, Part III"--- "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."
- It happened again today. As most of you know by now, the gross domestic product (GDP) shrank at a 2.9% annual rate. It was revised from the 1.0% reported last month. It's also the worst performance in the last FIVE YEARS.
- Those of us who pay close attention to the economy have been saying for years reports of the economy improving has been a myth perpetuated by the administration and the media. This report confirms that claim.
- It also confirms another claim I've been making about the progressive political class for many years now. Their policies have not only been a disaster, but they enjoy flipping us the bird.
- We've witnessed this behavior time and time again. Just yesterday, Charlie Rangel, the poster boy for what is wrong with the political system in Washington, won his 23rd term in office. This is the guy the House Ethics Committee found had engaged in a "pattern of indifference or disregard for the laws, rules and regulations of the United States and the House of Representatives." (It also sounds a lot like Pres. Obama to me). Yes, it's true he was elected by the people. Well, so was Pres. Obama and the progressive leadership of most of the failing cities in America. In fact, I wrote about it last year in a post entitled, "Progressives Enjoy Waltzing With The Devil." In other words, it should come as no surprise to anyone even when these slugs like Rangel "surrendered their dignity" a long time ago (phrase borrowed from Bob McManus in the NY Post)
- But those are not the only things that should cause every American concern. What should cause Americans concern is that this dereliction of duty by the progressive political class continues to harm the nation. And yet, we've seen a complicit media and political class fall in line even in the face of the current IRS scandal, the VA scandal, a failed economy and a disastrous foreign policy. Yes, the polls show the administration's numbers are tanking. But they also show that about 1/3 of Americans still support the policies that have caused great pain, misery and harm to many Americans. It's almost as if a third of the nation are a bunch of masochists. This take me back to a piece I wrote about Hillary Clinton. I referred to her as the perfect progressive politician: Good at nothing; Bad at everything.
- Jonah Goldberg recently wrote that the "managerial class" (progressive political class for me) are bent on protecting their own interests at the expense of the public. I'd like to define it as their taking pleasure in bitch slapping the American people even when many of those same people appear to enjoy it.
In case you missed the news, Stars and Stripes reported on the results of an investigation of the VA released yesterday. Some of the most disturbing findings include, but are not limited to, the following:
- VA employees skip work more than other government employees.
- Some VA employees sold drugs to patients.
- Lax security
- Whistleblowers were threatened.
- In the last decade about 1000 veterans may have died as a result of VA misconduct.
