Politicians and bureaucrats are known for sticking their foot in their mouth and for simply making outlandish remarks. Rarely do so many instances happen in such a short period of time.
Early last week, it was revealed that the Bureau of Labor Statistics states a green job is either: a business that produces goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources, or a job in which a worker’s duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources. This broad definition includes bus driver, bicycle-shop clerk and other unexpected lines of employment such as thrift store employee. Rep. Darrell Issa said the Labor Department “has jeopardized the integrity of employment data in some cases for clearly political reasons.” As if the Labor Department would manipulate employment data for any other reason!
President Obama caused a little bit of controversy during an LGBT event when he said Ellen DeGenerese “accepts a little bit of teasing about Michelle beating her in push-ups – but I think she claims Michelle didn’t go all the way down.” After an extended pause, Obama continued, “That’s what I heard. I just want to set the record straight — Michelle outdoes me in push-ups as well.”
A day later, Obama actually told the truth, yet wrapped it in a lie. “We’ve created 4.3 million jobs over the past 27 months. The private sector is doing fine,” said Obama. “Where we’re seeing weaknesses in our economy have to do with state and local government, oftentimes cuts initiated by, you know, governors or mayors who are not getting the kind of help that they have in the past from the federal government and who don’t have the same kind of flexibility of the federal government in dealing with fewer revenues coming in.”
The truth of that statement being, “Where we’re seeing weaknesses in our economy have to do with state and local government.” However it was wrapped in a lie that the private sector is doing fine and the implication that more government spending can fix the weaknesses caused by state and local government. Huffington Post reports, “Since Obama took office, about 607,000 fewer people work in the public sector. State and local governments, unlike the federal government, generally have to balance their budgets, and with fewer revenues, spending cuts have forced layoffs.”
Yet, the most unusual thing said recently came not from a congressman, but from thousands of libertarian-leaning voters who claim Senator Rand Paul “betrayed” them by endorsing Romney. I would disagree.
I never expected much from Rand Paul mainly because Rand Paul is a Republican and has done everything in his power to distance himself from libertarians. Additionally to claim that Rand Paul betrayed a person or group implies that he owed allegiance to that person or group. Rand Paul is first and foremost a Republican, and that party is where his allegiance lies; not with a group of voters who hoped he would act like his father. Arvin Vohra writes, Rand Paul’s “choice was to swallow a disgusting pill and live to fight another day, or end his political career in the Republican Party.” It is for that reason that I could never join or affiliate myself with the GOP (or the Democratic Party either, for that matter). I would encourage more people to leave the two major parties, as both parties support theft, war and destruction of rights.