Observations Offered on Six Morning Headlines

Six news articles published today highlight the upside-down nature of politics and the world in which we live today.  Below, I offer some observations:

• Wage issue kills Big 3 deal in Senate (Washington Times) — Senate leaders gave up Thursday night on a $14 billion automaker bailout, sunk by the refusal of the autoworkers union to agree to the concessions that Republicans had demanded as their price for support.  Observation: It’s nice to see someone is using a common-sense approach in dealing with the Big Three.  For more on the Big Three, see ‘Circular Logic’ Works on Racetrack, Not in Detroit.

• 6 alleged Islamic extremists charged in Belgium (USA TODAY) — Belgian authorities on Friday charged six suspected al-Qaeda-linked extremists with membership in a terrorist group, including a woman whose husband was involved in the assassination of Afghanistan’s top anti-Taliban warlord shortly before the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.  Observation: Liberals love to blame President Bush for spending to much on the Global War on Terror and for sending troops to Iraq, but they conveniently omit from their discussions the fact that the United States hasn’t been attacked by terrorists since Sept. 11, 2001.

• You call this ‘vital infrastructure’? (World Net Daily) — Heisman Trophy hopefuls are second-stringers compared to congressmen and senators. Politicians can throw money at problems far better than any quarterback can throw a pigskin – and they both involve pork.  Observation: Perhaps we should award a “Heistman Trophy” for the member of Congress who steals wastes the most taxpayer dollars.

• Concern for Climate Change Defines Energy Dept. Nominee (Washington Post) — The man tapped to be the next secretary of energy, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu, recently compared the danger of climate change to a problem with electrical wiring in a house.  Observation: Chu is partially right.  The so-called “danger” of climate change pales in comparison to the problems we have in the House.  Speaker Nancy Pelosi and here Democratic colleagues do seem to be wired differently than most Americans.

• Congress votes to provide relief for pension funds (Politico) — Congress is relieving businesses of paying billions of dollars in required contributions to their pension plans in the coming year.  Observation: Next thing you know, Congress will pass legislation that establishes a mandatory paint color for the deck chairs being rearranged on the S.S. Economy.

Hat tip:  Heritage Foundation

-- Bob McCarty Writes