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Opening Arguments

Fork over, or Granny gets it

President Obama is having a "shoot the dog" moment, isn't he?

The White House warned today that millions of Americans might not receive federal benefits checks if both sides can't reach a deal to raise the nation's debt limit by Aug. 2.

This is a tactic I've seen lots of times in my years of watching local government. When they're seeking office, politicians make glib promises to cut all that "waste, fraud and abuse" we all know is rampant. But then when they're elected and suddenly find themselves short of money to spend, it's like they never heard of waste, fraud and abuse. What they do is try to scare people into going along with higher taxes by threatening to cut police or fire protection. Fork over, or we'll just let you burn alive in your house some night you aren't being robbed or raped.

Comments

Doug
Wed, 07/13/2011 - 12:45pm

Are you saying that we all know there is a lot of "waste, fraud and abuse;" or are you saying that politicians are prone to telling us that "we all know there is a lot of waste, fraud, and abuse" prior to the election?

Because, I'm not sure there is actually very much actual waste, fraud, and abuse.

Doug
Wed, 07/13/2011 - 12:46pm

Noticed I used two forms of "actual" in the same sentence. Poor form!

Leo Morris
Wed, 07/13/2011 - 12:58pm

"We all know" there is waste, fraud and abuse -- partly because it's such a big enterprise and partly because it's government (people aren't as careful with other people's money as they are with their own). But we don't exactly how much because "waste, fraud and abuse" is just a glib political talking point to politicians, not a serious concern.

littlejohn
Wed, 07/13/2011 - 1:50pm

Every politician has spouted that "waste, fraud and abuse" line so many times it has become self-parody.
I have no doubt waste, etc., exist, but I really thought a newspaper editor would avoid such a worn-out cliche.
At this point, the phrase is effectively meaningless.

Leo Morris
Wed, 07/13/2011 - 2:22pm

I thought the fact that it was a worn-out cliche was my point.

Tim Zank
Thu, 07/14/2011 - 6:45am

Littlejohn, would you like us to get you a step ladder to use so comments won't so easily go over your head?

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